Light from the Fireflies
by xXSwanSongXx
Summary: Years after her disappearance, Choji's younger sister is found. Having been forced lived a life full of death and violence, the young woman returns to Konoha in the hopes of living a new, normal life away from past traumas. But the unstable woman's dark life doesn't want to let go.
1. Chapter 1

"Brother Choji! Shikamaru!" The seven year old girl yelled as she ran after her cousin and his friend. Even running full tilt, the girl's speed was more akin to a power-walk than a sprint.

She was small for her age. So short most people mistook her for being five years old instead of the more mature seven. She was very skinny - Choji remembered his mom had described her as "skeletal" once. Because of her size, those who did not know her would have never guessed she belonged to the Akimichi clan. But the markings on her chipmunk cheeks gave her away. Two white, lightning bolts ran from the apple of her cheeks to the back of her jaw. She had the same red hair as both her father and her uncle, but had her mother's bright golden eyes.

"Yes, Hotaru?" The nine year old asked as the pair turned to face her. The little girl struggled to catch up to the boys. She was not athletic in the least, and most activities put a lot of strain on her tiny, fragile body.

Hotaru managed to hurt herself a lot. Not because she was clumsy - which she was - but because she kept pushing herself despite some of her physical limitations. While endearing to her family, her determination in combination with her inability to perform strenuous tasks made her a target for bullies. Some days the bullying was so bad she almost believed what they told her; she would never become a powerful shinobi like her father. Almost.

In an act of kindness, the pair walked over to her. Panting, she replied "Can I play with you?" It was a fact that Choji was really her only friend in the world. Shikamaru tolerated her, despite her hyperactive ways because she was Choji's family - practically Choji's sister. Hotaru never knew her mother. She died shortly after Hotaru was born. Her father was killed while on a mission when she was five. After his brother's death, Choza took his niece in to be raised as his own daughter.

Shikamaru and Choji looked at each other dubiously while carefully considering their reply. Shikamaru finally spoke, "We're going to have a foot race with Kiba and some of the other boys. It would be troublesome for to try to keep up."

"Can I watch?" Hotaru responded, pulling on Choji's sleeve. "Please, Choji?" Quietly, she added "…I don't want to be by myself again."

"Okay. But only to watch. No running!" Choji said, as he helped his cousin onto his back. He carried her in a piggyback until they reached the clearing that marked the start of the foot race. Kiba Inuzuka, Naruto Uzumaki, Hibachi, and Unagi were already waiting for them when the trio arrived.

"Candy?" Kiba demanded as he pointed to the sheet that held the others' candy. Akamaru popped into view with a short bark, demanding payment for the race as well. The candy functioned as the race's entry fee and prize. Shikamaru dropped his candy on the sheet, followed by Choji.

"All the delicious candy!" Choji exclaimed as he set Hotaru down. She could hear his tummy grumble in anticipation; waiting for some delicious sweets. Quietly, Hotaru walked over to a fallen log and sat down.

"What's the Weakling doing here?" One of the boys, Hibachi remarked, pointing at Hotaru.

"Watching the race, Idiot!" She yelled back. He and Unagi were two of her many bullies. Normally, she would have scurried away from him, but having Choji and Shikamaru with her made her bold.

"Shut up, Weakling! What makes you think you can ever become a ninja if you can't even run a race? I bet your dad was weak like you…"

Hibachi's comment hit Hotaru like a punch in the stomach. Everyone was shocked at his cruel taunt. That was a low blow, even for him.

Hotaru was normally a quiet, peaceful girl. She enjoyed simple activities - like watching Shikamaru try to teach Choji how to play Shogi. But when she heard Hibachi's words, something inside of Hotaru snapped. Her father was her hero. The bravest, kindest, most caring man she had ever known. He died protecting the village, and no matter how much she missed him, she was proud to call him her father. Hotaru pushed herself off of the log and began stalking towards the boy. She was determined to beat respect into him - her size be damned.

Choji and Shikamaru were about to tell Hibachi off, when a fist connect with his face. The boy plummeted to the ground. A dark shadow came over him as the person who punched him stepped forward.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Naruto hissed through his teeth, fists clenched ready for a fight. He stood menacingly over Hibachi, on the edge of punching him again. "Don't talk about her dad like that, either!"

Hotaru stopped in her tracks. The other boys looked on, eyes wide with shock. Shikamaru smirked at Naruto. He was not friends with Naruto, but that punch earned him some points in Shikamaru's book. Hotaru may have been a troublesome girl always trying to play with Choji and him, but she was still someone he cared about a little. He had to admit the girl had grown on him in the last two years.

"No fighting!" Kiba yelled, after a moment of shock. "You can either fight or race. If you fight, you forfeit your candy, got it?" He continued. Kiba pulled Naruto away from the downed Hibachi.

"Fine with me." Hibachi said pushing himself off of the ground and dusting himself off. Shikamaru drew a line in the dirt.

"Finish line is the tree." He said lazily, pointing to the tallest tree in the distance. Shikamaru collected the candy and ran off toward the tree. "Start on my mark!" He yelled behind him as he continued further into the forest. The five boys lined up at the starting line and readied themselves for the signal. As Hotaru sat back down, a red flare shot into the sky. The boys were off at full speed.

After some time had passed, Kiba was the first to come back triumphantly sucking on a lollipop. He lifted the candy to his head, where Akamaru took a slobbery lick.

"Congrats on winning the race!" Hotaru cheered as she happily clapped. Surprised, Kiba looked over at her. He had forgotten she was there. With a toothy grin, Kiba shook his hands triumphantly. Hotaru giggled. She had always liked Kiba. He made her laugh even if he didn't mean to. Kiba came over to the log Hotaru was sitting on.

"Here." He said, handing Hotaru a couple pieces of his winnings. Kiba had always felt kind of sorry for, but strangely proud of Hotaru. She was a runt who needed a little extra attention and care. But like most runts, she didn't seem to care that she was smaller and weaker than everyone else. She just kept doing what she wanted to do, consequences be damned. Kiba could respect that. "See ya around, Kid." Kiba said confidently as he walked away. Akamaru yipped at her as the pair slowly faded away.

Naruto walked by shortly after Kiba had disappeared into the forest. The two made eye contact, but said nothing. After looking at her for a moment, Naruto turned away. Head down, hands in his pockets, he was just going to walk away.

"Naruto?" Hotaru asked quietly. He was nearly out of the clearing when he turned around to look at her. "Thank you… for standing up for me." She said hesitantly.

She didn't know if it was right to talk to him or not. Everyone seemed either scared of or angry at Naruto all the time, but she didn't know why. Uncle Choza had never expressly forbid either her or Choji from talking to him. But she never did because no one else ever seemed to want to be friends with him. She couldn't imagine why, though. Yeah, he was loud, and kind of annoying, and was always pulling pranks, but from Hotaru's perspective he seemed like a nice boy. She could tell he didn't like seeing other kids get picked on, and he had actually defended her a couple times before today. But she had never thanked him.

"Huh?" Naruto asked. He hesitated to move. Hotaru looked at him with her innocent smile and repeated her gratitude. "Oh…" He replied. It took him a moment to process Hotaru's words. "You shouldn't listen to them. You're gonna be a great ninja someday! Believe it!" He flashed Hotaru one of his giant smiles and scratched the back of his head.

* * *

*** 11 years later ***

A loud knock on his door violently woke Choji from his sleep. The curtains were drawn, throwing his bedroom into absolute darkness. It was too dark to read the time on his alarm clock, but he could guess it was close to three in the morning.

"Choji!" his mother's voice called urgently, pulling open his bedroom door. His room was filled with a glaring light from the hallway. Choji winced in pain, his eyes adjusting to the brightness.

"What is it?" He replied groggily, rubbing his heavy eyelids. He rolled over to face his mother's silhouette.

"They found her… They found Hotaru!" Choji sat up with a start. Deftly, he sprang from his bed and grabbed his mother's shoulders.

"Where is she?" He asked in an excited panic.


	2. Chapter 2

Choji walked to the front of his family's estate to find his father standing before Lady Tsunade. The pug Pakkun sat at their feet. The night was surprisingly chilly, given the heat of the last couple days. Sounds of crickets dully chirping away buzzed around the pair.

_'So, Team Kakashi were the ones to find her.'_ Choji thought to himself as he and his mother joined his father and the Hokage.

Lady Tsunade bowed her head towards Choji and his mother before speaking. "As I was telling Lord Choza, while returning home from a mission, Kakashi and his team stumbled upon a young woman whom they believe to be Hotaru Akimichi.

"Where are they now?" Choji asked Pakkun directly.

"A ways out from the village, still. The girl was injured when they found her. Sakura was treating her wounds when Kakashi sent me to Lady Tsunade. He said they would start for the village as soon as they were sure she could be moved safely. Kakashi hopes they will be back here by mid-morning." The small ninja dog answered, his voice as gruff as ever.

"Why do they think it is Hotaru?" Choza asked. He wished more than anything that this lost girl was his beloved niece, but was wary of getting his hopes up. Seven years was a long time to be missing. He had given up the dream of seeing the tiny girl again a long time ago.

"The girl seemed to recognize Sakura and Naruto. And she had this." Lady Tsunade replied, handing a piece of purple fabric to Choza. It was small, about the size of Tsunade's palm. The edges were torn and frayed, but there was no mistaking the markings on the fabric. In a vibrant gold, the Akimichi crest was woven onto the purple fabric.

"That's…" Choji cried in amazement. He hadn't seen that small piece of fabric in years. Greedily taking the purple scrap from his father's hands, Choji tried to to confirm what he was seeing.

* * *

*** 7 years, 6 months previous ***

thump, thump, thump, thump, CRASH! Choji snickered to himself as Hotaru ran through out the house.

"Brother Choji, are you coming!?" She asked frantically as she searched for her cousin. She finally found him in the garden. He was watching a butterfly emerge from its cocoon. "Choji! We're going to be late!" She yelled in a frenzy. The girl was panting heavily from her search.

"I'm coming." Choji retorted as the butterfly started to dry its wings. Together, the pair walked to the front of the estate where Choji's mother and father were waiting for them.

"Ready?" Choza asked as the family left their home. The four Akimichis walked to the academy together.

"Yes!" Hotaru cried happily. Bouncing and skipping ahead of her family. Despite still being small for her age, the 11 year old's body could now manage more strenuous tasks. Once she entered the academy, she was hell bent on making herself better to accomplish her ultimate goal.

"Calm down." Choji's mother said patiently to her niece. Hotaru stopped skipping, and buried herself under Mrs. Akimichi's arm.

"Can you believe it!? I'm graduating from the academy today! I'm going to be a kunoichi!" The girl squealed happily. She broke free of her aunt's arm and began jumping up and down with all of the excitement she could muster.

_'The only person on the planet with more energy than her is Naruto…'_ Choji thought. Hotaru began dancing in the street as they made their way towards the academy _'Then again, they may be tied.'_

* * *

After Hotaru's graduation, she came bounding up to her family. "LOOK!" She screamed with joy as she showed everyone her Konoha forehead protector. She had yet to actually put it on. As she was about to tie the forehead protector around her head - so to look like Sakura - Choji stopped her.

"I have a graduation gift for you." He said calmly, handing her a small parcel. With wide eyes, Hotaru pulled apart the package. Inside was a small piece of purple fabric. The purple was deep and rich - her favorite color. It reminded her of the purple hues of a complex sunset. In the middle of the fabric, the Akimichi crest shone in gold, dancing like fire against the dark purple.

"Wow." She sighed, taking in the beauty of what lay in her hand. Gently, she traced the golden crest with her finger tips, mesmerized by the beauty of such a simple gift. "Oh, Choji! Thank you! I love it." She cried, flinging her arms around her cousin to embrace him in a hug.

"It's small enough so you can sew it to the inside of your forehead protector. That way, no matter where you go, you will always have us with you." Choji said with a smile, pulling his cousin into a tight embrace.

The two Akimichi children soon left for celebratory barbecue with Shikamaru and the rest of Choji's friends. Hotaru still didn't have friends outside of Choji. But she appreciated that his had adopted her into their group and didn't look at her as a burden whenever she would join them. The Konoha 11 were all fairly friendly and she got along easily with them. Especially Naruto.

There was just something about him that made her feel special. When he talked to her, he made her feel like she was the most interesting person in the world. But he had left Konoha with Lord Jiraiya a year earlier to train. She would be lying if she said she didn't miss him. She really thought of Naruto as her friend - he could have quickly become her best friend. Becoming a genin with him gone was a little bittersweet. She knew that the only other person that could rival Choji's pride with her graduation was Naruto.

Walking in to the barbecue joint, Hotaru was greeted by an onslaught of congratulatory remarks from Choji's friends.

"Congrats, Kid!" Kiba smiled at her as she and Choji sat down.

"It's so exciting, isn't it, Hotaru?' Hinata mumbled.

"You're going to be a great Kunoichi!" Sakura said, patting Hotaru on the back. Hotaru sat down between Sakura and Shino.

"Congratulations, Hotaru." Shino remarked in his deep, dulcet way.

"Thank you." She said to everyone at table. When the waiter brought the food, both Choji and Hotaru started salivating.

"Mmm, Barbecue!" They said simultaneously. Despite the fact that she was small for an Akimichi - small for anyone, really - she still had an appetite that could rival Choji's. And Barbecue was a definite favorite.

"Have you been assigned a team yet?" Shino asked, helping place the girl's meat on the fire. Hotaru's arms were just short enough that she couldn't reach.

"Not yet. We'll be given our team assignments tomorrow." She replied happily. Between the excitement of graduating and the savory smells of the barbecue, Hotaru was completely content with her life.

"It seems like so long ago when we were all assigned our teams…" Sakura mused. Those early days were like dreams to her now, when her whole team was still in the village. Sadly she smiled, thinking of Sasuke missing with Orochimaru, and Naruto off training with Jiraiya. Sakura internally scolded herself. Today was Hotaru's day! There was no place for sadness at this table.

As Hotaru happily talked with Shino and Sakura, Shikamaru leaned over to quietly talk with Choji.

"How do you think she's going to do?" The chuunin whispered. It was troublesome to admit, but he was concerned about Hotaru. Over the years, Shikamaru had grown quite fond of the little Akimichi girl, so much so that he actively worried about her going off on missions. She was not like the rest of her clan, and despite that fact that she proved herself worthy of her clan's name time and time again, she was still a runt. Shikamaru hated himself for thinking of Hotaru that way, because he knew how much the girl despised that taboo word. But the problem was that once Kiba had told Shikamaru of his analogy, Hotaru was permanently a runt in Shikamaru's mind.

"I don't know." Choji answered, worriedly. "She can't use very many of our family jutsus - doesn't have the stamina or the chakra control for them. And because her body is so small, the Calorie Control Jutsu can't be used correctly half the time. She's not very strong, and isn't good in close or even mid-range combat. Which leaves long-range. But again, her chakra levels aren't great, so long-range combat is difficult for her… I'm hoping she chooses a path that would lead her away from endangering herself."

Sakura looked over at her little friend as she giddily conversed with Shino. She loved when Hotaru would talk with Shino - there were times Sakura swore she heard the somber boy laugh at Hotaru's silly jokes. Other times, Sakura could hear emotion in his voice when Hotaru would talk to him. Even though Sakura knew Shino cared deeply for his friends, seeing him with the girl was like seeing a whole new side of Shino. Sakura couldn't describe it, but the way Shino cared about Hotaru reminded her of the way he cared for his bugs. But that was Hotaru for you. She brought out the best in people.

Like Shikamaru and Choji, Sakura was worried about the fragile girl. She was proud of Hotaru for making it this far and proving that she could do it. But, Sakura knew that the girl may not be able to handle the stress of real life missions. Hinata gently cleared her throat, signaling Sakura to stop looking at the Akimichi child with such sad eyes.

Sakura looked up to see everyone at their table covertly eying Hotaru. She instantly recognized the feeling inside their eyes. The Konoha 11 wanted nothing more than to protect their tiny friend.


	3. Chapter 3

Choji waited for the sun to rise before heading over to the Nara estate. He needed to tell his best friend that his precious Hotaru had been found. But, the large boy knew how much Shikamaru loved his sleep. It was best to wait until Choji knew the Nara male would be awake before proceeding, otherwise Choji might have lost his head. He knocked on the front door and waited patiently.

_'Maybe it's still too early. No one is probably up yet.'_ Choji thought. He couldn't fall back asleep after Lady Tsunade left. The Akimichi aimlessly paced about his home waiting for an appropriate time to consult with Shikamaru. Choza and his mother had left to inform the rest of the clan the news, and that he, his wife, and his son would be waiting at the south gate for Team Kakashi's arrival.

Choji heard footsteps inside the house, and waited patiently for the door to open. Shikamaru's mother, Yoshino, gently opened the door.

"Choji?" She asked surprised. The woman was still in her dressing gown. It really was early in the morning.

"Sorry to bother you, Mrs. Nara, but is Shikamaru awake?" Choji asked hesitantly. Choji knew Shikamaru's mother could be a little overbearing, but she had always been kind to him.

"Yes, he's eating breakfast. Come in." Yoshino replied. She stepped aside to let her son's friend in. "Do you two have a mission?" Choji took off his shoes before being led to the dinning room. Despite the fact that Choji knew the layout of the Nara estate almost as well as his own house, Choji followed Yoshino obediently.

"No. My family received some news that I need to share with Shikamaru." Choji answered.

"Oh. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Mrs. Nara. It was really good news." Choji smiled. He entered the dinning room to see Shikamaru mindlessly eating his breakfast while staring out the window.

"What brings you here so early?" Shikamaru asked, lazily bringing his attention to his best friend.

Before Choji could answer, Yoshino asked, "Would you like some breakfast, Choji?"

"No thank you, Mrs. Nara." Choji replied courteously. Yoshino then left the room so the two could talk.

"What's wrong? You never refuse a meal."

"Lady Tsunade came to my house last night." Choji sat down to the table.

"Oh? It's not like her to make house calls." Shikamaru replied.

"She had a very good reason to." Choji answered. He placed the purple fabric on the table and slid it across to Shikamaru. He instantly recognized it. Shikamaru had been with Choji when he had it made for Hotaru. The husky boy had spent hours agonizing over the perfect gift for the girl. Until his best friend made the suggestion of something easy to take with her on missions, the boy had been utterly lost. Something small, but important. Shikamaru had actually been the one to suggest giving her their family crest.

"But…" Shikamaru finally spoke. "Its been seven years. And she was… Nobody expected that she would have…"

"They never found a body." Choji suggested. His voice was laced with hope and it made Shikamaru nervous. Just because some woman had a piece of fabric that belonged to the girl did not make it Hotaru.

"Seven years, Choji… And, she was -" Shikamaru had to choose his words very carefully. Calling Hotaru a runt was one of the taboo words. "She was fragile."

"The team that found her should be here sometime mid-morning. My family and I will be waiting at the south gate, if you want to come. If it is her, I know she would like you to be there."

_'She was practically in love with you.'_ Choji thought to himself, but didn't say it out loud. Discussing Hotaru's personal feelings towards the Nara boy had been a sore subject after she disappeared. For the longest time after the search for her had been called off, Shikamaru refused to even utter the girl's name. Any mention of her crush on him was immediately met with a cold indifference; the kind of indifference that came from caring too much.

"What time are you going?" Shikamaru asked as he took a bite from his breakfast.

"I'm planning on going straight there I after I leave your house." Choji answered bluntly.

* * *

*** 7 years, 6 months previous ***

Hotaru was struggling for breath. It was her first day as a genin. Her team's leader had given them mission parameters, and whoever failed was to be sent back to the academy. Hotaru was more determined than she had ever been to complete her task.

She had not come this far, proven that she could become a ninja, only to be sent back to the academy. If she went back, Hotaru knew she would never be given the chance to become a ninja again. Passing the exam and letting her graduate from the academy was taking a big risk. If she failed now, she would never be able to succeed again.

The only thing that kept Hotaru upright as she tried to catch her breath was the bō she was leaning on. A large shadow fell over her. She looked up to see the tall, tanned figure of her sensei. His large, green eyes stared at her sternly. Hotaru smiled at him. His brown hair fell around his face as he looked down at her. She had managed to pull his hair out of its ponytail during their skirmish. Somehow, that made her slightly proud of herself.

Despite meeting him for the first time today, she absolutely adored her sensei, Osamu Katayama. She felt like he was really pushing her hard enough to become a powerful ninja. Everyone else seemed more concerned about her not overexerting herself, but Osamu pushed her to her limits and she loved it. "Osamu-sensei!" She exclaimed between breaths. "That round was a lot better than the others."

_'At least she is trying.'_ Osamu thought. He blew a whistle, signaling the rest of the team to join him. The two other genin came out of hiding in the woods.

"The objective of today's mission is to take me out and steal this." Osamu said as he held a scroll out in front of him. "You've had 6 hours, and have done nothing but fail. So far, Hotaru has been the only one to even try to get the scroll"

Her two teammates, Dai and Takeshi looked at each other. They were highly annoyed with the situation. Early on in the day they had separated themselves from Hotaru. She was nothing more than an overeager weakling who was too much of a problem to deal with. The boys had come up with multiple plans to ambush their teacher and steal the scroll, but whenever they were about to attack, Hotaru would appear out of nowhere and fight with the jonin.

"It's not like she's had a plan." Takeshi whispered to himself. Hotaru collapsed to her knees. The skirmishes she had initiated throughout the day had been short, but were tiring on her little body. Osamu caught the girl before she could hit the ground. He set Hotaru upright and gave her a small pat on the shoulder before walking away away from his team.

"Osamu-sensei," Dai complained, "why are you allowing her to take the genin test? She can't even handle simple skirmishes. If you pass her, she'll just be a burden." As soon as he finished his sentence, Dai had been pinned to the ground. Hotaru was sitting on his chest, fist raised ready to pound on him.

"I am not a burden!" She yelled at the genin before giving his left cheek a rage-fueled punch. Osamu pulled the girl off of her teammate. She struggled against him, but the jonin could easily hold on to her.

_'How the hell is she still going?'_ Osamu's inner monologue asked. _'She just collapsed, and now…'_ As he was pulling the Akimichi girl away he noticed it. She was definitely lighter than she had been not even a minute ago. '_So she's using the Akimichi's jutsu - converting calories into chakra. She seems to have a pretty good control over it already. But she's so small, I doubt she will ever be able use it beyond giving her small bursts of energy…'_ Once the girl was off of Dai, Osamu began scolding the pair.

"Stop struggling." Sensei said calmly, pinning the girl's arms to her sides. With a huff, she ceased resisting. "You are teammates now. Start acting like it. Dai, if you see her struggling then help her. Don't complain and turn her into a burden that she isn't. Hotaru, control your temper and let your teammates support you when you need it. It is okay to ask for their help, so long as you don't allow yourselves to become helpless. And Takeshi, if they start fighting, stop them. Don't just stand there and mumble to yourself. You all don't necessarily need to be friends, but at least show each other some respect… Now, I will give you one last try to get the scroll. If you can't get it in one hour, you all fail."

"Yes, Sensei." The three genin said. They bowed deeply then dispersed into the woods. Hotaru was still panting from exhaustion when she left her teacher's side.

After a half hour, Osamu noticed that the three genin were unusually quiet and well hidden. They had gotten pretty good at hiding their scents and chakra while at the academy, but how utterly alone he felt made the man nervous. He could tell they weren't sulking from their scolding; this was something different. In an instant, he could feel Takeshi's presence coming up behind him. Osamu turned in time to see a clone disappear. Again, Osamu felt as though he was alone on the field.

A shuriken flew at his head from the east. Dai! Dodging it, he ran toward his student's position. Another clone vanished. The two clones had both vanished at inconvenient times, suggesting to Osamu that the two boys had yet to fully control the jutsu. They knew enough to pass the graduation exam, but not well enough to hold the technique for an extended period of time.

_'What are they planning?'_ Osamu thought to himself. Without the slightest forewarning, the jonin was struck on the back of his knees. He fell to the ground with a rather loud thump. Looking up, he saw a triumphant Hotaru smiling down at him. The teacher smirked at her. He attempted to kick her legs out from under the small girl. As he made contact, her body disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

_'Hotaru still has enough chakra for a clone? Impressive.'_ He thought to himself. A rustling tree branch alerted Osamu of the three genin standing above him.

"That fight... Was it a diversion?" Osamu asked, surprised by how quickly the three started working together. It oddly made sense to him if they had been purposely making it look like there was dissent amongst the troops.

"No." Dai answered honestly. The students jumped from the branch and began a barrage of attacks on their teacher.

Takeshi initiated the skirmish with Osamu. He was skilled in taijutsu, by far the most advanced close-range combatant of the three genin. The other two began jumping in when they could see an opening. The kids kept tag teaming against their teacher. Hotaru was the only one to use a weapon. Fighting him as such used up less stamina than bare knuckle fisticuffs. Her bō clashed against Osamu's armor repeatedly as she took on the offensive. Even for an Akimichi, she was quite skilled in using her bō - the weapon favored by her clan.

It seemed to Osamu that as soon as he would have this little kunoichi figured out, she would surprise him all over again. He felt ashamed of the fact that he was disappointed when he was assigned to be her sensei. Osamu didn't think that the sickly girl should have even been allowed to pass the graduation exam. She posed too much of a risk to the village. And as Dai had said, her physical health could quickly become a burden to the team. But as the day had progressed - as she quickly started showing him how determined she was to prove everyone wrong - Osamu began respecting the little Akimichi girl. She was a pretty good fighter when it came down to it. She was able to freely control a jutsu that many in her clan couldn't without the aid of special pills. And her small size gave her the ability to use her bō in ways other members of her clan could not. Her favorite move involved digging the staff into the ground and using it as a fulcrum to swing her body through the air. She could land some powerful kicks using this.

The girl whistled signaling the last phase of the battle. The two other genin joined in for an all out brawl. The three of them kept their own against their teacher. With a jerk, Osamu felt the scroll tear loose of its rigging on his belt. Osamu jumped to a tree branch to see four people below him. The three he had been fighting clustered together. The forth person was beaming up at him victoriously waving the scroll. The two Hotarus looked at each other before the one holding a bō vanished, dropping the staff with a solid clunk.

"Impressive." Osamu said to his students. He jumped from the tree to join his team. "We'll be taking on missions outside the village in no time." The three genin smiled at each other then at their sensei. Osamu took the scroll back from his little kunoichi before dismissing the troupe.

"Sorry I punched you." Hotaru said as they left the training ground. She hesitated before she continued speaking. "I'm just so tired of people taking one look at me and seeing some sickly little… runt." She grimaced at the word. She couldn't remember when people had started to call her that, but once it happened, it stuck to her ferociously. "I have to try so hard just to prove to everyone that I'm not some porcelain doll that needs to be put up on a shelf. I'm surrounded by a clan of powerful, strong Shinobi, and I'm just..." She gestured to her little body. Dai and Takeshi stared at the girl.

They had never thought about how self-aware Hotaru was of her own physical shortcomings. The boys had never considered how she felt about being the size that she was. Dai and Takeshi couldn't imagine what it would be like to be told their entire lives that they would never be good enough because of something they couldn't control. To have all of the people who surround you and know that all they see is something fragile must have been infuriating. To push yourself twice as hard as someone else just to have people think you are half as good would be a living nightmare.

The boys had to admit, the plan she hatched after their fight was quite good.

"Sorry I called you a burden" Dai replied. "I know you're trying your best. I just didn't think before I said anything." Hotaru looked over at her two teammates. They smiled at the girl.


	4. Chapter 4

Choji and Shikamaru started their wait inside the south gate at 6:30 that morning. Choji's mother and father soon joined their son and Shikamaru. Other members of the noble family began slowly congregating nearby. With so many clan members gathering, word about Hotaru's potential return began spreading across Konoha. Even the civilians were buzzing with the news of the young Akimichi girl's homecoming.

"Choji!" A voice called out from the crowd of Akimichi members. Akimichi family parted, allowing for the Konoha 11 to pass through. Tenten lead the way. "We heard that someone found Hotaru?" She asked. Choji and Shikamaru looked from one friend's face to another. Each of them had an indescribably bittersweet look in their eyes. Hope and fear swam through each of the young jonin, creating a terrible sense of nervousness about the forthcoming woman.

They all prayed that it was really Hotaru, but at the same time if it was…. They dreaded to think what had happened to her after all of these years.

The hours ticked by slowly as the Konoha 11 waited with the Akimichi clan. No one spoke. No one could bring themselves to speak. It felt as if the peaceful quiet was a sacred calm that kept the doubts of the woman's identity at bay. By 9 am, Lady Tsunade and Shizune joined the throng of people waiting at the south gate. The two women said nothing as they stood behind Choza.

It was 10:30 before the silhouettes of five people could be seen coming up the road to Konoha. The mob could easily see that the three on the end were Sakura, Sai, and Naruto. Kakashi was in the middle, helping to prop up a fourth person.

The five slowly made their approach towards the village. The tension from waiting for them to reach the gate grew almost unbearable. Choji wanted to run out to them and confirm whether or not the fifth person was in fact Hotaru. But he couldn't move. He felt as if Shikamaru had him in a shadow bind, but it wasn't Shikamaru that was holding Choji in place. It was absolute fear. Fear that the fifth person walking towards him wasn't actually Hotaru.

Choji didn't know what he would do if it wasn't her. After all of this time, he couldn't bare the thought of getting her back only to have that dream crushed. He had been the last person to see her in Konoha, and the guilt he felt for having let her slip away from him and their family had eaten away at him for years. He had finally accepted the fact that he had no control over Hotaru's disappearance during the warar. Somehow the conflict the shinobi world faced against Madara had help him to accept that. He did not quite understand the logic behind it, but Choji figured it was better not to question it.

* * *

*** 7 years, 2 months previous ***

"Choji, I'm a big girl. I can walk myself to the gate." Hotaru said. The young Akimichi had just celebrated her twelfth birthday two days earlier. She was still on the high of being another year older, thinking herself much smarter and mature that she had been a week ago. She was 12 now; practically an adult!

Hotaru was annoyed that her adoptive brother was accompanying her to send her off on her first mission as a genin. No one else's family was escorting them. Hotaru had been working hard the past couple of months to earn her team's respect, and being dropped off like a child could undo all of it.

She was slightly taller now, but her height growth was minuscule compared to the weight the girl had started to gain. Hotaru was starting to look like a normal, healthy child instead of the scrawny being she had been. Her clan had been completely surprised by how much she had grown in such a short span.

"Osamu must be doing something right!" Choza laughed over his dinner the night before. Hotaru was devouring her food as fast as she could chew. The girl growled, wrestling Choji for the last scraps of dinner. She masterfully won against the boy and ate triumphantly. The loser of the nightly battle would have to do the winner's chores for the night. Hotaru hadn't had to do a single chore in over a week. She was still small and Choji's minor defeats had embarrassed the boy. No self-respecting Akimichi should loose food so easily and often.

But now, she and her team were off for their first official mission outside of the village. It was a common C-rank mission that would take no more than four days to complete. Hotaru and her team were to accompany a businessman from Konoha to the capital.

"I know; you don't want me with you. But I'm heading that way anyway, so it just makes sense to walk together." Choji lied. He really wanted to be able to pull Hotaru's sensei aside and beg him not to let her push herself too hard. She may be approaching a healthy appearance, but Choji was still unsure of how much she had actually grown. She was still easily defeated by running for too long. If she pushed herself too much on this mission, with no medical ninja to back them up, Hotaru could seriously hurt herself.

Hotaru spotted her team and client before Choji, and ran off ahead of him. "Sorry I'm late, Osamu-sensei!" She yelled as she galloped toward her team. Quickly she turned around to wave farewell to her cousin. "Bye, Brother Choji! See ya in a couple days!"

"Be careful!" Choji replied, and waved her goodbye. He watched Hotaru as she joined up with her team and headed out for their mission. She was so small compared to the other two genin. Hotaru stood nearly a head shorter than them. One of the boys rested his elbow on top of Hotaru's head as they slowly made their way out of the village. The other boy said something causing the small Akimichi to burst out in laughter. She had a high pitched, hearty laugh that had a slight cackle to it.

The last time Choji saw his little cousin was as she rounded a distant hill. He blinked and she was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Amazon.

That was what came to mind when Shikamaru saw the strange woman limping toward Konoha's gate. When he had been a child, Shikamaru had heard stories about an ancient race of fierce, female warriors called Amazons. They were bold, stalwart women who could instill fear and envy upon any who gaze upon them. The woman being propped up by Kakashi was everything that Shikamaru had envisioned when he listened to the tales of those women. Though she was still fairly far away from the village's entrance, Shikamaru could tell the woman that leaned on the jonin was proud and strong; everything that an Amazon should be.

Kakashi seemed to be dwarfed by the height of the woman. It was too hard to tell at their current distance, but Shikamaru guessed she had to be at least 6'3". How could the tiny, just barely reaching 5 foot tall Hotaru be this woman?

Like the rest of his clan, Choji had grown to be about her height, but he had never had Hotaru's fragile body. To have grown so much was a feat that no one imagined Hotaru capable of. The woman would have still been considered quite skinny to anyone's standards, let alone the Akimichi. But her body mass looked healthy in comparison to the skeletal Hotaru of old.

Her slender body was greatly accentuated by her form fitting clothing. She wore mesh armor under a red tank top, that matched her hair. She was all legs. Capris stopped mid calf on her long legs to reveal more mesh underneath. The woman's tank top was ripped and blood stained just under the last rib on her left side.

She walked with a limp, favoring her left side. In her right hand, she held a bō unlike any Shikamaru had seen before. When the woman would put weight on her left leg, something occurred that allowed numerous serrated blades to be thrust out of the long staff. The blades would disappear into the bō after a few moments only to jut out again.

Hinata gasped from behind Shikamaru. She quickly pulled her hands to her mouth in an attempt to stifle anymore reactions. Akamaru whined, sensing the same thing as Hinata.

"What is it?" Ino asked. She looked over at the pale-eyed girl. Hinata looked terrified.

"H-her chakra." Hinata replied. "That is Hotaru's chakra, but -" The Konoha 11 looked to her as Hinata tried to collect her thoughts. There was no doubt that the woman was Hotaru. But, she was so… "She's so broken."

Ino glanced back towards the south gate. The five were closer now. Close enough to see the woman's fiery red hair pulled back into a tight bun. Her head was down, but Ino saw faint traces of white lightning bolts across the woman's cheeks.

Sakura, Sai, and Naruto sped up, leaving Kakashi and the woman behind. The three jonin entered the gate and stopped before Choji. Sai said nothing. Naruto gave Choji a slap on the shoulder as he and Sai joined the Konoha 11. Naruto looked over at the Hyuga girl. She was worried about the approaching woman.

"Hinata…" Naruto whispered. The pair looked at each other, trying to reassure one another that whatever Hotaru had been through, her friends would help mend her scars.

Sakura took hold of Choji's hand, and squeezed it. She attempted to join her comrades, but Choji couldn't let go of her supportive hand. He was still terrified that the woman walking up the road was not Hotaru.

"It's her, Choji." Sakura murmured. "She's home."

On the verge of tears, Choji replied, "This is the last place I saw her."

"And now it's the place where you welcome her home." Sakura cheered him on with a gentle push. As she did so, Kakashi and the woman crossed the village gate. Choji took a step toward the pair. The woman was slightly taller than him and had a muscle tone that could be seen through her tight fitting clothes. Her muscles did not make her bulky, but rather made her sleek and nimble. If Choji were an ox, this woman was wolf. More Inuzuka than Akimichi.

He ran his fingers over her thick, red hair. The young woman's body instinctively stiffened at his touch. Her hair wasn't as soft and silky as he remembered it. The Akimichi female trembled fervently as the boy reached out to touch her face. Choji gently lifted the woman's chin with the palm of his hand. The face he saw took his breath away.

White lightning bolts glowed against her pale skin. She had finally grown into her chipmunk cheeks, which had become high, mighty cheekbones. A gruesome scar ran across her right cheek, marring the beauty that was undoubtedly Hotaru. The scar began just under her eye, running the length of her cheek to her ear. Part of her right earlobe was missing. Shifting his attention from her ear to her eyes, Choji smiled. Vibrant cadmium yellow eyes looked back at him with faint recognition. They questioned who this man was standing before her. She could swear she knew him as forgotten memories were fighting to resurface.

Choji pulled the woman into a hug. "Welcome home."

Hotaru stood with clenched muscles, unsure of who this man was. After a moment, she breathed in his scent and was instantly taken back to a lost childhood. He smelled sweet and salty, like melted caramel. Distant memories came flooding into her brain. She remembered the pain of loosing her father. She remembered the comfort of her adoptive brother's arms. She remembered the sight of the world from piggybacks on Choji's back. She remembered staring up at clouds and playing with butterflies. The woman remembered the most important person she had ever known; his arms were wound protectively around her now.

The wooden staff fell to the ground with a dull clatter that reverberated in the silent mob. Cautiously, Hotaru wrapped her arms around the man. She had given up hoping she would ever see him again.

"Choji…" She sighed. She began crying in her cousin's embrace. Hotaru buried her face into his shoulder to silence her sobs. Choji squeezed her as tight as he could muster, trying to reassure her that she was home. She was safe.

* * *

*** 7 years, 1 month previous ***

The bodies of Osamu and two of his genin had been back for weeks now. But still there was no sign of the little Akimichi girl. Lady Tsunade sat in her office, starting out her window. The girl's disappearance played heavily on the Hokage's mind. The whole situation was a disaster. Team Osamu had been ambushed about a day out from Konoha. It had been a massacre. There was no sign of the girl, and what was left of the others… Even Tsunade couldn't bare to think about it.

'What went wrong?' She asked herself, looking over the ANBU reports. The reports told an unbelievable story. It seemed the team and their client had stopped for the night and set up camp. At some point during the evening, the four were savagely ambushed. The bodies of Osamu, two of his genin, and their client were found miles from where they had made camp. Hotaru was a different story. They could trace her scent from the camp to a riverbank a of couple miles in the opposite direction of Osamu and the others. But the trail went cold at the water's edge. If she had ended up in the river, the girl's body would have turned up in Konoha in less that 24 hours. But it had been weeks. She was just gone. Vanished with the only trace of her slowly decaying with every second.

In the weeks that the girl had been missing, Tsunade had sent out all of her best tracking units that she could spare. Majority of the Aburame clan were out searching for her. The entire Inuzuka clan had been called back to Konoha by their Alpha to begin searching for the girl. Fewer and fewer reports from the search parties were coming back to the Hokage. Those looking for her were at their wit's end, and knew that it would not be able to continue for much longer.

It seemed Kurenai's team was one of the most ruthless in their search of the girl. The three chuunin were relentless, refusing to see the end was near. Shino was running out of bugs faster than they could reproduce. Kiba and Akamaru could barely walk. The headaches that Hinata was suffering from were unbearable - so much so that Kurenai feared the young Hyuga would go blind.

A cacophonous thunderclap crashed in the distance. The rainy season would be starting soon. Tsunade was going to have to call off the search whether she wanted to or not.

The head of the Akimichi clan cleared his throat. Choza had been standing inside Lady Tsunade's office, waiting for the Hokage to speak. But she had been deep within her own world, forgetting that Choza was there.

"We can't afford to continue the search once the rains start." She calmly stated. "And with what little trace we had of her stopping at the riverbank… The trail went cold long before we even found the others' bodies."

"I understand." Choza said solemnly. He excused himself from the Hokage's office. The dread he felt knowing he would have to announce Tsunade's decision was like nothing he had previously know. The Hokage hated her decision, but there was no evidence suggesting the girl was even alive, wherever she was. Choza did understand. He would have to officially declare his beloved niece dead. That's when reality it hit him. His realization at what was coming shook his being so hard that he nearly collapsed in the hallway. While he did not want to admit defeat, it had to be done.

The clan would have to hold Hotaru's funeral.


	6. Chapter 6

Choza and his wife stood behind the cousins, waiting for them to break apart. With wide eyes, the young woman looked up to see her aunt and uncle standing in front of her. She let go of Choji and threw her arms around her adoptive parents. Mrs. Akimichi cried as she stroked her niece's hair. Choza simply embraced the girl.

She was so much bigger than she had been 7 years earlier, but in her uncle's embrace, Hotaru felt like the child she had once been. She felt small, fragile, and utterly complete when surrounded by Choza's big arms. He let go of his niece and took her face in his hands.

"My beautiful little Lightning Bug." Choza uttered. Simple tears filled the man's eyes. He was holding his little girl again. Choza had wanted a house full of children, but it had taken him and his wife years to conceive Choji. By the time their son was born, the Akimichi head knew having another child was not going to happen for them. And then the Lightning Bug was born to his brother. The moment Hotaru entered the Akimichis' lives, she became the most important little girl in the world.

Absentmindedly, he ran his thumbs across the markings on her cheeks. He had done this simple gesture a multitude of times when she had been a child - it calmed her when she was sick, and helped her sleep after a nightmare. Such a small act, but so powerful to the Akimichi girl. Hotaru placed her hand on top of her uncle's, leaning her head into his palm. For the first time in years, the girl smiled.

She had forgotten what it felt like. Hotaru was always smiling when she was a child. She had an innocent countenance and a smile that could rival Naruto. Despite her physical limitations, her many illnesses, and the fact that she needed to prove she was worthy of being taken seriously, Hotaru never lost face. Her smile was a permanent fixture and no one could change it. Osamu-sensei had once told her that the only emotion she knew was happy. And in her uncle's embrace she remembered why. In her uncle's arms she was safe.

The Konoha 11 silently waited as each member of the Akimichi clan greeted their lost girl. One by one her family welcomed her home with a warm embrace and a smile.

"Hotaru." Choji said as the last of the Akimichi released the 19 year old. He gently guided her shoulder to see ten people and a dog standing before her. Hinata was the first to come forward.

"We've all missed you so much." She said gently, pulling Hotaru's hands into her own.

"Hinata." Hotaru replied. It was more for her own benefit - making sure she remembered the names that belonged to her one time friends. Hinata smiled sweetly, before returning to the group.

"Hey, Kid." Kiba said next. Akamaru barked joyously bounding towards the girl. His tail wagged with such ferocity against Kiba's thigh he was going to have a bruise. He stepped forward to greet the girl, but a strange feeling emanating from the young woman made him stop. A change in the girl's scent made his keen senses twitch. Everyone's scent goes through fluctuations as they age, but this girl held something different about her… She was almost feral. Kiba couldn't place his finger on it, but the Hotaru that stood before him was wrong somehow. The Inuzuka male did not want to touch Hotaru, but she squeezed his hand before he could move away.

When she touched him, his mind started screaming the answer; bloodlust. This woman had seen, and participated in many brutal and bloody battles. She had killed viciously and without purpose; death for death's sake. The blood she had shed was nothing like what the members of Konoha 11 knew. They had lived through war in order to protect everything they held dear.

But this girl. She had killed because she could. The lust inside of this girl was dark, pointless, and cruel. It had spread throughout her like a greedy lover; wantonly grabbing at any piece of her it could have. But for as much bloodlust as she had, Kiba could still sense a piece of her that wished to remain docile. He could feel a glimmer of hope inside of her trying to maintain dominance long enough for the darkness to disappear altogether. This faint light was growing in her. It was slowly casting out all the evil and vile acts she had committed to make her whole again. But the void inside of Hotaru was vast. Time was necessary for the void to disappear. Kiba wanted to reject her. With everything that he had, Kiba wanted to force the girl from Konoha and ban the darkness from ever returning. Akamaru seemed unaware of Kiba's sudden distaste for the girl as he happily licked Hotaru's free hand.

Oblivious to Kiba's internal conflict, Hotaru spoke his name. A lithe smile played across her lips, but Kiba could not let himself be fooled. There was darkness in her like none he had felt before. Hotaru's voice echoed in his ears. But her smile. That came from the Hotaru he had known. The Hotaru who desperately clung to what goodness was still in her. Her sweet, kind smile made him want to attempt to foster that glimmer of hope inside of her. Kiba's brain could not compartmentalize the two sides of the Akimichi girl, and it frustrated him.

He quickly let go of the girl and returned to his friends. One by one the Konoha 11 welcomed home the tall Akimichi girl. Shikamaru was the only one left. He stood in his normal relaxed stance; weight on one foot, a hand in his pocket, the other scratching the back of his head. The boy was staring up at the sky.

"Hello, Shikamaru." Hotaru whispered. When he didn't look at the girl, he could have sworn the small, skinny child he had known was still standing before him. Her voice had not changed much in the last seven years. Despite being in a slightly lower register, there was still a musical lilt to it. Shikamaru slowly shifted focus from a cloud to the girl; crookedly smirking in reply.

The awkward girl had grown up to be quite beautiful. She wasn't conventionally pretty like Ino, and the scar on her cheek was rather distracting. Her chipmunk cheeks had thinned out, giving her high cheek bones that highlighted her large eyes. The yellow eyes, while fetching on their own, were framed by long, delicate eyelashes. The thick bun atop her head indicated to Shikamaru she had kept her hair long. The red locks had always been down to her mid-back. If he had to guess, Shikamaru would say her hair now reached somewhere around her knees. The woman before him was quite a bit taller than him. He didn't have to crane his neck to look at her face, for which he was thankful. As he had noticed before, she was all legs. Her torso wasn't short by any means, and her arms were quite long as well. She was paper thin. Not quite the skeletal girl that she had been, but still thin. Overall, Shikamaru was taken in with the sight of her.

Before she had disappeared, Shikamaru knew how the girl felt about him. Hotaru had a crush on him. It wasn't anything like Sakura or Ino's love for Sasuke, or as shy as Hinata's infatuation with Naruto. But a much more subtle and unassuming crush. One that was carried with dignity and grace - despite the fact that Hotaru had been as graceful as a cat in a pond. He had grown to accept her puppy love and could have even return it, if it didn't become too much work to maintain.

On some level, he had liked having her as an admirer. The fact that it was Hotaru made it all the more charming to him. Shikamaru truly did care about the tiny girl he had grown up with, and knowing that she cared about him as much and the way she did was appealing.

The two stood awkwardly staring at one another. He didn't quite know what to say.

"Now that you're back," Shikamaru finally spoke, "I'll teach you how to play Shogi."

That was it. That was the best he could come up with. He internally slapped himself.

_'Man, you're an idiot.'_ Shikamaru's inner monologue berated his self.

"I missed you, too." Hotaru responded sweetly. There was no hint of derision or contempt for Shikamaru's failure of a greeting. He could see in her eyes that she knew his invitation was heartfelt. To her, playing Shogi with Shikamaru was as if Choji had offered her his last potato chip.

Lady Tsunade cleared her throat. "If you would follow me." The Hokage said the new arrival. Dutifully, Hotaru complied. Shizune, Choza, his wife, and son joined the two women. They left the south gate while the mob of Akimichi clansmen dispersed.

"Where are the going?" Tenten asked the Konoha 11.

"They'll take her to the hospital to get checked out. Once she's been cleared, Lady Tsunade will debrief her and probably try to get her to explain what happened." Shikamaru replied.

"She told us what happened." Naruto retorted. "It's messed up, ya know!"

"Naruto! It's not our place to talk about it." Sakura scolded the blond. The rest of their friends stared at the pair. Eagerly, they waited for Sakura's resolve to break and spill the story. She stood fast. Luckily, Naruto gave in much to Sakura's dismay.

"They were attacked their first night outside the village, right? She didn't really explain, but somehow she got away and was kidnapped. She didn't tell us much more, other than the people who took her forced her into, uh… what did she call it?" Naruto asked Sakura.

"A fighting ring." She replied sullenly. "Battle Royales; two or more people get thrown into an arena, and you only get let out once your opponents are dead. She survived seven years of that."

"Seven years of being forced to kill people…" Hinata muttered. Kiba stood in shock. The dots finally connected. She couldn't have willingly participated in those events, otherwise the part of Hotaru that was docile - the half that he had known so many years ago and was trying to regain its control of her - would have completely vanished.

"That explains it…" He said absentmindedly. His friends gave him questioning looks. "When she touched my hand. It was like I could sense the fights she had been in. She was so blood thirsty, but there was a part of her that was trying to keep everything in check. It was like she was fighting with herself to keep hostility in balance with tranquility. But if she had gone into that kind of fighting willingly, there wouldn't have been any tranquility left in her. "

"How did that little girl not get killed?" Ino inquired. "I don't know about you guys, but the Hotaru I remember cried when she accidentally killed one of Shino's bugs."

Lee spoke next, "How many fights did she have?" The taijutsu warrior was conflicted. On the one hand, his friend had obviously been forced into something vile and heinous. She had been forced to strip herself of her humanity and morality in order to survive. On the other hand, he would love to see the new Hotaru fight. It had to be a fair match, mind. Lee did not care for the dirty rules of a battle royale. Surviving for seven years in a realm of dirty fighters, that girl had to be amazing.

"More importantly," Shino added, "how many people did she kill?" He could barely finish his sentence. The thought of the sweet girl who made him laugh, the almost-as-upbeat-as-Naruto girl purposely taking another person's life saddened him. Everyone stood in silence. None of them wanted to believe that sweet little Hotaru had the blood of countless people on her hands.

"But," Sakura said suddenly, "Hotaru is home now! She is here, where she is safe and loved. And we will all do everything in our power to help her, right?"

Nine voices and a dog agreed. The tenth stared silently up at the clouds.


	7. Chapter 7

Hotaru sat on her hospital bed listening to Lady Tsunade speak to her. The Hokage and her assistant, and Hotaru's family were all gathered around the hospital bed.

"I know that you would like to just go to the Akimichi estate now that you are back," Lady Tsunade spoke kindly, "But if you don't mind, I would like to know what happened to you."

Hotaru looked up to the village leader. She didn't want to talk to the woman, but she could feel the pressure to speak coming at her from everyone in the room.

"What do you want to know?" Hotaru asked, looking up at the Hokage.

Gently sitting down on Hotaru's bed, Tsunade asked, "To start with, what happened the night you went missing?"

* * *

*** 7 years, 2 months previous ***

Hotaru didn't like their client very much. He seemed arrogant and oddly cruel.

"Hey," the client shouted to Osamu. "I get that these kids are genin, but seriously?" The man grabbed Hotaru by her hair and pulled her in front of him. "How is this pipsqueak supposed to be able to protect me?" The man laughed as he threw her to the ground. She hit hard, landing awkwardly on her shoulder. The Akimichi girl let out a sharp gasp, rolling off her shoulder and cradling it with her other arm.

"Shut up." Dai yelled at the man as he helped his teammate off the ground. Hotaru took hold of his hand and pushed herself to her feet. Takeshi glared at the man. If he hadn't been a client, Takeshi would have pummeled him. The quiet boy had become severely overprotective of his two teammates. Especially the little one.

"You alright?" Takeshi asked. He didn't take his eyes off of the man. The ferocity in the boy's stare startled their client. He had never expected the boys to worry about a child who was obviously a burden. She was too small, too weak, and too innocent to be of any use in the world of shinobi. But, it was clear how much the boys cared for their little companion. Those two would help the girl no matter the risks. He did not like their loyalty to her.

"I'm fine." She replied as she dusted herself off. Without a word to the client, Hotaru walked ahead of her team. She had grown used to this kind of treatment and wasn't going to let some stupid man bring her down. She was fulfilling her dreams. She was on the way to becoming a respected kunoichi. She did it, and she was not going to let this pretentious ass, who didn't even know her, get to her. Dai and Takeshi flanked their friend. Takeshi glared back at the client one last time before he started whispering to his teammates.

Osamu stopped walking and stood in his client's way. "Listen to me. You don't know anything about my team, so I'm going to speak very plainly. The girl may not look like much, but she has the potential to become the best and most powerful of those three genin. She is small, but she is mighty. And those two boys love her like a sister. We will not tolerate your actions. If you continue to harass her -"

"Yeah, yeah." The client interrupted the jonin and pushed his way past Osamu. With a strength that could crush bone, Osamu grabbed the man's arm and pulled him back.

"Let me rephrase what I just said. If you lay a finger on any of my students again, what happens to you will look like an accident. And those three," Osamu pointed at the genin ahead of them, "will never tell."

Osamu thought that he had been discreet in his warning, but the three genin looked at each other and smirked.

'He thinks I'm mighty...' Hotaru thought to herself.

They stopped for the night and made camp a couple miles later. Hotaru didn't like sleeping on the forest floor. It was too hard and unforgiving. She knew it came with the job, but a dirt bed was going to take a lot for her to get used to it.

The little Akimichi girl had snuggled down, willing herself to fall asleep. Slumber aggressively escaped her for majority of the night. She eventually pulled out a small piece of purple fabric and traced the golden design with her thumb. The gift that Choji had given her silently soothed the girl. "Goodnight, Choji." She whispered. Slowly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Hotaru woke up with a start. She sat up and looked over to her teacher. Osamu was standing guard while his genin and the client slept. Quietly, the girl walked up to him.

"Osamu-sensei..." She whispered, concerned. A nervous smile graced the child's face.

"I sense them too." He replied, ruffling the girl's hair. He could sense the presence of a multitude of strangers. Osamu couldn't get a proper read on how many there were. Once he would lock on to one, they seemed to shift out of existence. The girl could feel them doing this as well. How easily they evaded proper detection frightened the girl. Absently, Hotaru started playing with her sensei's hair. She twisted the long, brown strands between her fingers. Compared to her thick, fiery hair, Osamu's was thin and quite rough. She had gotten into the habit of playing with her father's hair - followed by her uncle's hair - when she was a toddler. The quirk was easily transmitted to her sensei.

"What are we going to do?" She whispered. Osamu looked down at the girl. He had gotten used to the girl's random habit of playing with his brown hair whenever she was bored or nervous.

"So far they've stayed a fair distance from our camp. Wake Dai and Takeshi up, and tell them to be on guard." Osamu looked down at his student with a calming smile. He ran his hand over her red head before ruffling the long hair.

He would never admit it, but she was his favorite student. He knew most jonin team leaders had their favorites - Asuma had Shikamaru, Gai had Lee - but it was hard for him not to treat her like it. He made a point of not playing favorites. But it was difficult. He found himself wanting to spoil the child, whether it be with a scroll of techniques, buying her celebratory food when she surpassed his expectations (which happened often), or just showering her with attention. The girl was quickly becoming less of a student and more a little sister.

Osamu's family had been killed during the Kyuubi attack so many years ago. He had loved his parents, but Osamu never saw himself as a family man. He had never really felt he had any form of a paternal instinct. That was until he was given his genin. The three of them all made him feel protective and loving. But there was something about the girl. Ever since the team's first day together, she had been the favorite.

Hotaru glanced back up at her sensei, trying to hide her fear. The team was primarily genin. This was their first mission outside of Konoha. Hotaru knew they wouldn't be able to handle what was coming for them. The mob of people out there was big and dangerous, and it was coming towards them. Reassuringly, Osamu smiled at the girl. "It will be okay, I have a plan… Doesn't hurt to be too cautious."

The four Shinobi stood guard around their camp, waiting for the strangers to make their way through the woods. They had been waiting for nearly an hour for the strangers to pass. After Hotaru had woken the two male genin, the massive group neither retreated or advanced on the shinobi. The strangers merely sat where they were.

_'Biding their time.'_ Osamu thought to himself. _'But what are they waiting for?'_

Hotaru heard a thump. The pale moon gave off enough light to see her teammate Takeshi slumped on the ground. He was holding his shoulder. Hotaru could see blood pouring from a wound on near his chest. She ran to him, pulling bandages from her pack. None of the members of her team had any experience as medical ninja, meaning any wounds gathered on missions would have to be dealt with the old fashion way. Hotaru had started giving some thought to learning basic medical skills. It would be practical and would help her to be more like her hero, Sakura.

"Let me see." She whispered. Takeshi slowly removed his hand. The wound was deep and bleeding profusely. "Take your shirt off." Takeshi did as he was told. Trying to clean the wound as best she could, Hotaru poured water over the boy's shoulder.

Swapping Takeshi's hand out for a bandage, she pulled out thread and a stitching needle. Hotaru threaded her needle. She worked as fast as she could possibly manage, but as she tied off the string to begin her stitching, a hand gently fell on her head. She looked up to see their client standing above her. He was holding a knife.

"Go back to the center of the campsite." Hotaru commanded. She was surprised by how forcefully she had spoke to him. "Wait there, please."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." The man chuckled. He grabbed the girl by the hair, pulling her from her knees. Hotaru's hands flew to her head, trying to pull her hair free.

"What are you doing?" She yelled at her client. All sense of calm had rushed from her. She knew she had to stay quiet with strangers so close. But with the man's hand wrapped around her hair she was too panic-stricken. Osamu ran toward the commotion.

"What the hell-" Osamu was cut off by the glimmer of a knife in his client's hands.

"Shh." The man cooed, as the knife came to Hotaru's throat. She swallowed hard and was about to call out of Osamu when he roughly pressed the knife against her skin. "I wouldn't do that." He pulled the girl's hair, propelling her forward towards Osamu. "Mr. Katayama, if you would please collect the other two, we're going to go for a walk."

Osamu helped Takeshi up and called for Dai. Once the team was reunited, the five people began walking away from the campsite. Hotaru could feel a presence walking towards them. A small man slowly came into the company's view.

"Tadashi." The foreigner called.

"Boss." The client responded. Throwing Hotaru into Osamu's arms, the client, Tadashi, bowed.

"What is this?" The Boss asked. He stepped toward the three shinobi.

"I'm honoring my debts. The jonin looks to be in excellent condition. The boys could use a little work, but they have potential. As for the girl… It would be best just to kill her and put her out of her misery." At Tadashi's words, Osamu's grip around the girl instinctively tightened.

"What makes you so good at evaluating them?" Boss asked. He grabbed Dai by his chin, and looked the boy up and down. His stare was akin to appraising cattle at auction. Hotaru lashed out, slapping the man's hand away from her friend.

"Hoh hoh!" The man laughed. "She's a feisty one. It's always good when they fight back, Tadashi. Spirit gives them strength." After a moment of looking the three over, the Boss continued. "I'll take them. Consider yourself out of my debts, my man."

A group of men came forward and began binding the ninja's hands so that they could not perform seals or ninjutsu. The four shinobi were being oddly cooperative. The Boss watched them carefully. He knew they were plotting something. After walking for a couple miles, he pulled Takeshi away from his team.

"What are you planning?" The Boss asked, pushing his thumb into Takeshi's wound. He fell to the ground screaming.

"Leave him alone!" Hotaru yelled. She was prepared to fight their captor, but Osamu stopped her. With knowing eyes, Osamu stared at the girl. She tried to fight back, but with one look, Osamu quelled any rebellious plans. Hotaru returned to her place behind her teacher. The Boss saw the exchange, and took an interest in his fiery new girl.

"You. Come here." Begrudgingly, Hotaru did as he said. The man grabbed her by the ear and pulled her close. "You belong to me now. Don't ever disobey me." The man let go of her ear, and gently caressed her cheek. Hotaru shivered at his touch. He disgusted her.

_SMACK!_ Hotaru's neck violently snapped to the left as the back of a hand made contact with her right cheek. The girl's body plummeted to the ground, but it never made contact. In a puff of smoke, Hotaru's first attempt at a shadow clone disappeared.

* * *

Miles away, the real Hotaru was pushing her self as fast as she could to fulfill Osamu-sensei's plan. She was by far the best at hiding her chakra while using clones, and with the aid of her family's jutsu, the small child had the ability to mold enough chakra to conjure a shadow clone. Which was why Osamu had chosen her to go back to the village.

Osamu knew people had been disappearing from the woods for awhile now and despite the Hokage's request that his team continue in-village missions, he pushed to be given this mission. It was his fault that his genins were in this situation, and Hotaru was the best option to get them out of it. He couldn't leave his students alone, but he hated having to send the girl off by herself.

She was to run to the river that leads to Konoha. Riding the rapids would get her back to the village by early morning. Osamu and the boys would be sure to leave traces of themselves as they made their way through the woods so Hunter Nin would be able to find them.

"Almost there!" She whispered. She could smell the earthy riverbed a mere mile away. The closeness of the river caused her pace quicken. Pushing her small legs as fast as they could carry her, she managed another half mile before she suddenly realized her clone no longer existed.

Something made Hotaru's ear prick. She stopped running. Strange noises were coming from the east, but she was too far away to tell what the abnormality was. Concentrating harder, she listened for the noise again.

_'Screams.'_ Her inner voice told her. _'They figured out the plan!'_ Hotaru started running again. Using a small energy burst from the Calorie Control Jutsu, Hotaru began sprinting faster than she could have ever imagined. Dodging tree branches in the moonlight was proving to be difficult, but she managed. She had to hurry. She had to get back to the village.

10 yards ahead of her, the river came into view. Legs sprinting at their breaking point, Hotaru launched herself forward. She prepared her body for a swan dive into the deep river, and jumped. As she made her way through the air, Hotaru was hit by something heavy. It threw off her balance, causing her to plummet into the cold water on her back. The air in her lungs was violently taken from her as she smacked the water. Hotaru struggled for breath. River water enveloped her body as she sunk further and further down. Hotaru was caught by a swift current and sent her tumbling through the water. She tried to pull herself out of the current, but her limbs were useless.

A strong hand found her. It grasped her tight as she was pulled towards the air she so desperately needed. Holding onto the girl, the hand kept her above the water. The girl's feet dangled from her body, small waves tickling her toes. In the darkness, she squinted to see to whom the hand belonged.

She had never seen anyone like him before. Excessively tall, the man could hold her whole body above the water without raising his arm above his head. He was built like a wild boar; burly and musclebound, and wore a yellow yukata that had fallen open at his chest. Inscribed on his muscular torso was some sort of seal. His blue-black hair was pulled back into a messy pony tail, while his fierce obsidian eyes stared at her. His eyes reminded the girl of Sasuke. The man could have been an Uchiha. He was handsome enough to be one, at least. Even the twelve year old had to admit his long, angular face was very attractive. In the moonlight she could tell he was only a couple years older than her; 5 years at the most. He was about to speak when another voice beckoned to him.

"Hajime." A familiar voice called out. The man who taken Hotaru's teammates stood on the riverbank. She had never met the man personally, but her poor shadow clone had. The client had called him Boss.

'How did he get here so fast?' Hotaru thought. 'He should be miles away.' At the sight of the man, Hotaru began kicking Hajime in the stomach. A barrage of kicks pelted against Hajime's thick chest and abdomen. She tried to break free from her captor, but he was too big for her to do any damage.

"What should I do with her, Yoshiro?" Hajime asked. His voice was quiet for a man of his size. To look at him, Hotaru expected something loud and booming, like an excited Naruto. He took hold of the girl's ankles with his free hand and held her firmly still. Despite the large man's grasp, Hotaru continued to squirm against him.

"I'd like to keep this one." Yoshiro replied. Hotaru stopped struggling. With wide eyes, she stared at the man across the river. "She may be small now, but her kicks look to have a bit of power behind them. With some training, and once she grows up a little, I think she could be worth quite a fortune."

"You think she has it in her?" Questioned Hajime, taking a step toward the distant man. Yoshiro nodded.

"We'll keep her alive for now." Yoshiro left the pair on the river.


	8. Chapter 8

The Konoha 11 stood in Lady Tsunade's office. It was still early morning and the friends were anxious to know why Tsunade had called all of them to her office. They were too large of a group to be given a mission, and because Choji was with them, they all figured it had to be something to do with Hotaru.

The Hokage finally spoke, "Yesterday, Hotaru was willing to discuss certain details about her life that could make her a potential threat to the village. I'm not saying that she is a threat, but I have decided to place her under ANBU surveillance. However, they have strict instructions to keep their distance. They aren't a full 24 hour detail, but… I want you all to keep an eye on the Akimichi girl and report back to me -"

"You want us to spy on her?" Naruto asked. He was somewhere between indignation and outrage. Sakura smacked him upside the head.

"Let her finish, Idiot!" She yelled at the blond boy.

"In a sense, yes." Tsunade answered honestly. "But I wouldn't qualify it as spying. It is more for her own protection. She is leaving the hospital later this morning, and it is my duty to make sure the village is safe with her around."

"It's Hotaru. We know she would never -" Tenten started but was cut off by Shikamaru.

"That's exactly the point. We don't know." He spoke calmly. "The woman in the hospital isn't the girl we knew. She was held prisoner in an illegal fighting ring for seven years. We don't know what she's done or what she is capable of doing. We don't know her psychological state. There are too many unknown variables when it comes to her. And since we were the ones closest to her before she disappeared, it makes sense for us to be the ones to keep an eye on her. We don't know how she will react to having an ANBU detail, and their constant presence could put Hotaru or the village at risk. Hotaru is safe with us, and what gives her a sense of safety will steel her calm."

"My thoughts exactly." Tsunade answered gruffly. "I don't need you to report in to me on her every move. I just need you to give me your general impressions of the girl. She will be receiving counseling while she acclimates to living in the village again. But I need eyes on her at all times." Tsunade's gazed turned to Choji. "I know this may seem cruel to you, but it is to protect her as much as it is the village."

Choji stood silently thinking for an appropriate answer. "I understand." It was all he could muster to say. He knew both the Hokage and Shikamaru were right, but he didn't like the idea of his friends spending time with Hotaru under some pretense.

"I want you all to understand that what I am asking in no way means that I don't want you to get close to her or rekindle your old friendships. Actually, that is exactly what I want you to do. I want her to have her friends back to support her as she returns to a normal life. She needs to know that this is her home now." With that, the group was dismissed from her office.

Walking away from the Hokage Tower, the shinobi were silent. They didn't know quite how to process Tsunade's request.

"When is Hotaru getting out of the hospital?" Hinata asked Choji.

"About an hour." The Akimichi boy responded. "That's where I'm going now." He turned down a side street.

"Poor Choji." Hinata mumbled. "This has to be hard on him… Knowing that everything Hotaru does will be strictly monitored."

"I don't like it. Granny Tsunade has gone crazy." Naruto responded.

"None of us like it, Naruto." Lee said. "Hotaru doesn't deserve to be treated like some kind of a suspect in her own village."

"But, Lady Tsunade has a point." Ino argued. "Like Shikamaru said, we don't know her anymore. Until we are sure of her psychological state, we have to be careful with her."

"Still. I don't like it." Naruto countered.

"You don't have to like it." Shikamaru sighed. "It's a drag, but its an order from the Hokage." He didn't like being the voice of reason at the moment. What they were doing was a request from the Hokage herself. It wasn't like they could just ignore their orders. But that didn't mean he did not like the situation they were in. He felt a certainty that he disliked it more than anyone else. Out of the entire group, the only one closer to her than Choji was Shikamaru himself. Treating her with trepidation was only common sense. But he didn't want to believe Hotaru would do anything to endanger the village.

"I think Lady Tsunade is right." Kiba added. "Hinata, you said yourself that she seemed off. And after everything I felt from her yesterday… I'm not saying she would do anything drastic on purpose. But, she needs to be watched over. It's better if it's us rather than some impersonal ANBU members. They would detain her with the slightest provocation."

"So," Ino voiced, "How do we go about doing this?"

"We do exactly what we would have done anyway." Sakura replied. "We become her friends again."

Choji snaked his way through the village, slowly working toward the hospital. He didn't want to think about his meeting with the Hokage. The Akimichi male just wanted to be with his cousin.

He walked into the hospital room, but Hotaru wasn't in her bed.

"Hotaru?" He asked quietly, stepping into the airy room. A small noise answered him. On the opposite side of the room, he found her sitting in the corner. "What are you doing?"

"I… um." She couldn't quite put her thoughts into words. "The room is too big. I don't like it."

"Oh." He replied, sitting down next to her. "Well, the Hokage approved your release from the hospital. I'm here to take you home. We can leave whenever you're ready."

"That's good." She said. Her voice was shaky, but the musical lilt was there. She looked over to her cousin and smiled. "Brother Choji?"

"Yeah?"

"Auntie and Uncle Choza came over earlier… They said the clan wants to have a celebration at the estate this evening."

"I had heard some elders discussing it. Why?"

"I don't want to go." She whispered. All traces of her smile were gone in an instant. She fidgeted with her hands for a moment, contemplating how to continue. "The thought of being around a lot of people is…" Hotaru didn't finish her sentence. She hastily tried to catch her breath before being thrown into a panic attack.

"How about this," Choji countered. He clasped the girl's hands together, trying to draw her attention away from the impending panic attack. "You show up for a couple minutes. Say some niceties to the elders and then I'll help you sneak out someplace quiet. I'm sure Shikamaru might need some help tending to the deer this evening."

The boy stood up and held his hand out to his cousin. She hesitantly grabbed ahold of him and pulled herself to her feet.

"You ready?" Hotaru gently nodded her head as the pair made their way out of the room. After signing some paperwork, Hotaru was free to go home.

Hotaru stood before the home she had not seen in seven years. It was newer than she remembered. That was because, as Choji explained, the village had been destroyed some years earlier by the group Akatsuki. The entire village had been rebuilt to look as through it had never been decimated.

The young woman stared at the house, too terrified of moving. Her feet firmly stood in place, unwilling to walk even if she wanted to. Instinctively, she grabbed Choji's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I can't…" She muttered. "I can't go in there."

"Why?"

"What if this isn't real?" Choji stepped in front of his cousin and forced her to look in his eyes.

"This is real, Hotaru. I am real, this house is real, and you are home. Your friends are all here waiting to help you, and our family is here waiting to love you. And if some day it feels like this is all a dream or that you are not really in the village, all you have to do is take my hand and squeeze it. This hand is real and it will never lie to you. And it will never let go of you again."


	9. Chapter 9

Hotaru stood silently as members of her clan walked past her. Each one had a smile on their face, a warm greeting, and a hug. She was terrified. Her hands wrung around one another, strangling the life out of her fingers. The clan gathering wasn't nearly as rowdy and rambunctious as an Inuzuka reunion, but there were far too many people and too much noise for Hotaru's liking.

"The Lightning Bug!" A clan elder exclaimed as he hobbled up to the tall girl. Hotaru had no idea who the man was, until she saw his crooked smile; he was the cheek pincher. Her eyes narrowed, trying to keep a pleasant smile on her lips. When she had been a child, she was the only one slow enough that the Akimichi elder could catch. He pinched her cheeks so hard that Hotaru thought he would tear them right off of her face. She was too tall now for the man to reach her cheeks, causing her to internally smirk. Hotaru bowed before her elder.

This was her mistake. The old codger swiftly caught Hotaru's left cheek between his pincers and pulled. The girl attempted to raise her hand to smack the old man away, but was caught by Choji.

"My, how you've grown, Lightning Bug!" The elder said, pinching harder on her cheek. Hotaru growled in response. "But this scar you have. Why didn't have Lady Hokage heal that for you? You would be so much prettier without it. Such an ugly mark should never grace the skin of a beautiful woman!" He laughed heartily.

"I keep this scar," she replied through gritted teeth and pulling free of his grip, "as a reminder of those who died by my hand." The elder slowly put his hand down to his side. Even Hotaru could see how taken aback the old man was. She felt slightly ashamed of her blunt response, but she could not apologize to him. She had told the truth, after all. Choji sternly stared at her while the elder thought over his response.

Choji knew that she wasn't trying to be rude on purpose, but she could have worded things better. The elder's demeanor had changed from familial to stoic. Hotaru was certain to be given a harsh lecture about respect either now by this elder or later from her uncle.

"During the First Shinobi War, my twin brother was severely wounded, leaving a nasty scar across his chest. But, he refused to let the medics heal the scar completely. When I asked him why, he told me 'because a man gave his life to give me this scar, so I shall honor his dying wish'… Choza told us elders of the horrors you've had to endure these last seven years. Please, forgive my treating you like the child you were all those years ago. But, I cannot imagine that little Lightning Bug who used to play in these gardens partaking in such violent deeds."

"There is no need for apologies." Hotaru calmly responded. She bowed deeply before the man as he left the cousins.

"Was that really necessary?" Choji quietly criticized her. "You couldn't have just let him have his way and play nice?"

"No, I couldn't." Hotaru responded resolutely. "I am no longer that fragile little girl everyone was hell bent on treating like a porcelain doll, and I refuse to let anyone treat me like a child ever again."

Hotaru matched her cousin's severe glare. She was so different from the shy, nervous girl Choji had walked home from the hospital. The Hotaru before him now exuded grace and arrogance. She seemed taller as she intensely stared at the boy. There was fire and rage in her eyes, but her calm demeanor was what made her terrifying. This new Hotaru was intimidating and she knew how to use it against her cousin.

As if realizing how she looked, Hotaru closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. When she opened them again all signs of her anger were gone and a pleasant smile graced her face. "Sorry." She whispered to her adoptive brother. Hotaru said nothing more as she stared out into the garden full of her relatives. A few more clan members came forward to greet her, but many seemed to be allowing the girl a wide birth. They were wary and suspicious of the girl despite the fact that Choji seemed to have already accepted her.

"That was the last of the elders." Choji spoke as an old woman left the pair. Hotaru nodded her head before she turned to go inside the main house. Choji waited for a moment before following her in. He had agreed to sneak her out of the gathering, but hoped that once she had been reintroduced to everyone Hotaru would change her mind. He wanted her to be around her family. Choji felt that if she just stayed with the lovable clan long enough, they would be able to help her. But, Choji knew better than to push Hotaru into a situation that was uncomfortable for her. Doing so could lead to bad things.

The girl travelled through the house to the front door, where she stopped. Hotaru looked from left to right of the house and down the road. She was confused and disoriented.

"What is it?" Choji asked, trailing slightly behind her.

"I don't remember how to get to Shikamaru's house…" Hotaru admitted. There was an indescribable sadness in his cousin's voice when she spoke. For first half of her life, Hotaru could have traveled the route to the Nara estate in her sleep. But after a seven year absence, things that had once been so important were now insignificant memories.

"Follow me." He said kindly. The pair made their way to the Nara estate in silence. Choji wanted to speak, but he didn't know what to talk about. Finally, just before they reached Shikamaru's home, Choji spoke. "I'm going to be assigned a genin team after the graduation in a couple weeks."

"That's exciting." Hotaru replied merrily. "Do you know any of the students that might be graduating?"

"Not really. A couple of the younger Akimichi children are in this year's class. I think a cousin of Hinata's is in the class too."

"Well, here's hoping they pass." Hotaru voiced as she came to the entrance of the Nara estate. The cousins walked up to the front door to find Shikamaru lounging in the yard, staring up at the evening sky. Hotaru looked up to watch the last remnants of the sunset fade into the dark night sky.

"What brings you here?" Shikamaru asked, his lazy drawl sewing his words together.

"Too many people at the house." Choji answered. He hadn't had the chance to debrief Shikamaru on Hotaru's request to leave the family gathering.

"What do you expect me to do about it?" Shikamaru sighed. He looked over at the Akimichi pair. They were so different from one another and yet so similar. To look at the tall, agile woman standing before him he would have placed her in the Inuzuka clan before the Akimichi. Shikamaru smirked as he remembered a long forgotten secret.

20 years ago, a young Inuzuka branch member married into the Akimichi clan. From old pictures he had seen of the woman, Shikamaru remembered a tall, lean woman who had breathtaking golden eyes. She was less feral looking than the rest of her clan, but Shikamaru could tell she had the same hard edges as her older sister, Tsume. The woman married a young Akimichi man more to strengthen ties between the clans than for love. But it would be a disservice to their marriage to say the two did not love each other in some capacity. The Inuzuka woman gave birth to a baby girl on the waning days of spring one year into the marriage. It was a cool night when the child was born, and the first fireflies of the year danced about the garden. The girl's father named her after the lightning bugs that played outside; Hotaru, the firefly.

She was premature and sickly, and when her mother - who had been tough as nails and every bit an Inuzuka - passed away from complications during labor, no one imagined the girl would survive long. But she did. Weeks turned to months, then years. The permanently ill child never stopped fighting. She was bed ridden or close to death for the majority of her first four years of life. When she was just old enough to mold chakra, the clan elders took the girl aside and taught her one of the clan's jutsus. She didn't have a lot of stored calories, but she had enough for the Calorie Control Jutsu to work. By utilizing it on a minor scale, the small child was able to convert her stored fat into medical chakra and release it throughout her body. They did this in order to keep her from reaching the precipice of death as she had so many times. By the time she was 6 years old, she was using the jutsu continuously. She was as unaware of her use of this technique; it had become as natural to her as breathing. But because of the Calorie Control needing to use her stored calories, Hotaru was never able to gain any weight.

The Inuzuka female passed away two days after her daughter was born. Much to the Inuzuka's dismay, the Akimichi clan took the child as their own. She was an Akimichi. She would be raised an Akimichi. All memory of the Inuzuka in the Akimichi clan was slowly forgotten. Even her ninken, Shiromaru, was returned to her clan, despite the dog's wishes to stay with his master's child. Save for the vibrant yellow eyes of the girl who now stood before Shikamaru, there was no trace of the Inuzuka line amongst the Akimichi clan. The Nara boy wondered if Kiba even knew about the connection between himself and Hotaru. She was his cousin and his mother's niece after all.

Hotaru sat down next to the lazy Nara boy. Leaning back on her elbows, she looked up to the heavens. "I wasn't allowed to look at the sky." She murmured. Both of the young men looked over to Hotaru. Slowly, she continued to speak, "Hajime and I weren't allowed anywhere except for the arena, our dojo, and our quarters."

Taking advantage of Hotaru's lull in conversation, Shikamaru asked, "Who is Hajime?"

"He was everything." Hotaru responded glumly. "Hajime trained me, taught me, fed me… Boss kept me pretty isolated from the others. There were certain places I wasn't allowed to go, people I couldn't talk to. I had to have an escort wherever I went. Hajime was my one constant thing. We were together everyday for seven years. Boss made him retire from fighting when they brought me in so Hajime put a lot of effort into making me a fighter."

"Why didn't he come with you when you escaped?" Choji still stood above his cousin.

The girl fell silent for a long time before answering. "He died." Her voice shivered. "Boss brought him out of retirement for one last battle and he died."

"How?" Choji asked.

"Honorably." She pushed herself off of the ground and began to walk away.

"How about a walk in the woods? Some of the doe gave birth a couple days ago." Shikamaru suggested to the girl's back. She casually tried to wipe tears from her eyes.

"I don't want to talk anymore." She refused to turn around and face the boys.

"You don't have to."

"I'd like to go home now, please." Slight shivers ran through the girl's body.

"Okay." Choji answered, leading the way from the Nara estate. He turned to wave goodbye to Shikamaru. The dark haired boy was still laying on the ground, but even Choji could tell he looked concerned about Hotaru. "Wait here a second." Choji said to his cousin before returning to Shikamaru. "Please, don't tell the Hokage about this." He pleaded quietly. Choji did not want his cousin to hear them.

"Choji, you know I have to -"

"Please, Shikamaru? Just… wait a couple days until she gets into a routine."

"Man… Why are you making this so troublesome?"

"Please?"

With a sigh, the lazy boy agreed. "Fine!" He said.

"Thank you!" Choji waved goodbye before returning to the girl.

Shikamaru had to give Hotaru some credit. At least she knew when she was reaching the end of an emotional tether and tried to get herself away from the situation. In this instance, he didn't feel that she was trying to avoid a problem all together, but distance herself from one that she knew she wasn't stable enough to handle.

He just hoped that Hotaru would open up to someone soon. He didn't quite care who -whether it was himself, her therapist, Choji, or even Naruto - so long as she didn't keep everything bottled up inside.


	10. Chapter 10

Shikamaru waited on the front porch of the Akimichi main house. He had been knocking for a couple minutes with no avail. It was still early morning, but maybe everyone had already left for the day. Deciding that waiting around was too much work, he exited the front porch and began to leave the estate.

"Shikamaru?" He turned to see Choji's mother standing in the open doorway. Despite being awake and dressed for the day, Mrs. Akimichi looked like she could fall asleep at any moment. "Choji has already left. He received a summons from the Hokage."

"I'm not here to see Choji, Mrs. Akimichi." Shikamaru said politely. He strolled back to the porch where the woman stood dumbfounded.

"I'm the only one here…" She added, not sure of what Shikamaru meant.

"Hotaru went with Choji, then?" The dark haired boy tilted his head toward the center of the village.

"Oh! No. Hotaru is here." Mrs. Akimichi admitted. Her eyes were wide with embarrassment for forgetting that her niece was back home. She had spent seven years in this house with only Choji and Choza. iIt was only natural that she might forget she was no longer alone after only a day. "Come in!" She sang merrily letting the boy in. He kicked off his shoes with the grace of a desperately lazy man. "I'll go get her."

"That's alright, I can get her." Mrs. Akimichi wanted to protest, but the boy nonchalantly walked toward the back of the house. With hands in his pockets, and a bored look on his face, the Nara boy walked through the large home to where only one door stood closed. He waited a moment, listening to the sounds from inside the room. The bedroom itself was quite, but he could a shower running from the in-suite bathroom.

Shikamaru was unsure whether or not to enter the room. He stood in the hallway, silently contemplating his options when he heard a muffled scream come from deep within the bedroom. Without thinking, the normally lackadaisical boy rushed inside the room. The bathroom door was closed. Shikamaru shoved his body against it, expecting the lock to be set. The door opened with virtually no resistance, causing Shikamaru to barrel into the small room and skid to a stop on the tiled floor.

Hotaru sat in her bath, fully clothed, just letting the water rain down on her. Her back was against the wall, knees pulled to her chest and hugging herself. The girl was so tall that this was the only way she could sit in her bathtub. She was crying; trying to hide the sobs behind her knees. Hotaru hadn't noticed Shikamaru's dramatic and rather uncoordinated entrance and he was thankful for that.

"Hotaru?" The boy said softly. He was uncertain of how she would react to him being in her bathroom when she was emotionally vulnerable, so he stayed put. Cadmium eyes peered at him through wet hair that had fallen against her face. She had always vibrant, beautiful eyes, but they were dulled from crying. The whites of her eyes had been dyed red making the beautiful shade of yellow wash. She said nothing as she buried her head back into her body and continued crying.

Shikamaru stepped forward. He turned off the shower, stared down at the young woman and sighed. "Scoot." Hotaru obliged and allowed him to enter the back of the tub. Shikamaru sat down and pulled the girl to him so her back lay against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her torso and rested his chin on top of her head. Shikamaru sat still and silent as the girl sobbed in his arms. Her face was buried in her hands, trying to muffle her mewls.

He had done this once before when Hotaru was 11 years old, maybe a week before she graduated from the academy. He couldn't remember why she cried in her tub, more than likely because of her relentless bullies. He had walked into the bathroom down the hall from the kitchen to take a piss, but had accentually stumbled upon the weeping child. Shikamaru had seen his father hold his mother in his arms after her mother had passed away. Just having his father's presence close to her had seemed to calm his mother. Because he couldn't be bothered to try anything else, Shikamaru climbed into the tub with her. He held her for what seemed to be hours, even dozing off a couple times, before she felt composed enough to leave the tub.

Seven years later, the Akimichi girl was a little too big to be cradled in a bathtub. The room Shikamaru needed to sit with her caused her long legs to have nowhere to go. One foot spilled out of the tub, hanging limply over the side, while the other braced itself against the far wall. The boy's legs were pushed up against the sides of the tub, straddling Hotaru's hips. Her pelvic bone was colliding with his groin in a very unpleasant sensation. The only thing keeping her from slipping out of his grip altogether was the awkward angle his arms wrapped under her shoulders. Shikamaru was sure that this would be a most unseemly sight if Mrs. Akimichi happened to walk in. But despite the awkwardness of it all, Hotaru felt comfort in his arms.

"It's all my fault." She sobbed to herself. Shikamaru waited for a break between her cries to speak.

"What is?"

"Hajime. He's dead and it's all my fault. It should have been me-" she cut herself off with a wail. Not knowing what else to do, Shikamaru tightened his grip around the soaking wet woman.

"Shhh.." he whispered, pressing his cheek into her soft, wet hair. The quiet noise calmed her a little. She said nothing more, as she cried until her tear ducts refused to keep working. Hotaru pulled herself away from Shikamaru, indicating for him to get out of the tub. Hopping out, Shikamaru held out his hand to help Hotaru up.

The young woman stood up. She wore hand-me downs from Choji until she could go buy clothes that actually fit her. The clothes she wore were supposedly two sizes too big, but the drenched material clung to her body. The girl's knee length red hair was matted against her long neck, shaping her round face. The hair fell from her shoulders and down her back, giving the tall woman's body a make-shift halo. She had a body shape that could have matched Hinata. Hotaru had a perfect hourglass torso with a set of extra strong hips. The soaked shirt flattened against Hotaru's stomach showing off her abs. They weren't as defined as Shikamaru would have imagined, but she definitely had a well sculpted body. Her legs were long with thick, powerful thighs and elegantly crafted calves. If Shikamaru had to guess, the weakest point on the girl's body would have been her slender ankles. He felt lecherous taking in the sight of the wet woman, but did not have the willpower to look away from her.

"Are you alright?" Shikamaru managed to ask after shaking off his momentary voyeurism. A thought struck him as he watched the girl in the tub. When she had arrived in Konoha three days earlier, she was rail thin; lean muscle stood defined under her skin, but there was absolutely no meat on her. As she stood before him now, Hotaru had the curves of a woman who had gained weight. Not much weight, but enough to be noticeable. 'She is an Akimichi.' He thought to himself. 'And she's probably had decent meals since she got here.'

"I'm okay." Hotaru lied, wiping the remaining tears from her face. "Can you hand me a towel?" Shikamaru obliged. She quietly patted the towel against her wet clothes before walking out of the bathroom. Shikamaru followed. Once past the threshold into her bedroom, Hotaru removed her large wet shirt.

"Woah! What are you doing?" Shikamaru asked, before turning his back so that he was standing in the bathroom. His face was beat red. He only saw her exposed back, but that was enough of a shock for him.

"Changing." She said innocently. After a couple moments she added, "You can turn around now."

Shikamaru faced the girl, willing his face to return to its normal shade. Hotaru wore baggy clothes that hid her body. She was toweling her long hair as Shikamaru stepped out of the bathroom, and stood awkwardly in her bedroom.

"What do you want?" Hotaru asked briskly. Shikamaru knew she wasn't trying to be rude, she just didn't know quite how to interact with him yet.

"I just wanted to know how you are doing."

"Coming all the way here, on the opposite side of Konoha, just to see how I'm doing?" She asked with a laugh. "Isn't that 'troublesome'?" She was mocking him.

"A troublesome task for a troublesome woman." He replied. Hotaru let out a hearty giggle. She removed the towel from her head, sending a waterfall of camilla scented, red hair cascading down her back. She began gathering her hair, pulling it into a bun. "You should leave it down." Shikamaru stopped her. Hotaru flashed an innocent smile at the boy before dropping her fiery mane.

"So, what really brings you here?" She asked again.

"I have the day off. Thought maybe you would like to learn to play Shogi?" Eyeing him, the girl thought carefully about her response.

"Hinata is taking me shopping for clothes today." Disappointment stretched across her eyes. "But," Hotaru chirped, "You can come with us, if you want."

Shikamaru nervously chuckled and scratched his head. "Shopping is kind of trouble- "

Hotaru cut the boy off with an exasperated glance. "If you don't want to come, just say so."


	11. Chapter 11

Shikamaru sat outside a changing room, waiting for the Akimichi girl to finish trying on clothes. He was grateful that the girl hadn't felt the need to model everything for him, but she was still taking forever. He had fallen asleep a few times, only to be woken up when Hinata would come back to ask how the Akimichi was doing. From inside the small changing area, he heard Hotaru give off a frustrated groan.

"What?" The boy asked, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Everything is too short!" She exclaimed. Throwing open the dressing room curtain, Hotaru stepped outside. She was wearing a light green sun dress. It was the color of grass and made her pale skin glow. The dress would have looked cute on her if it had fit correctly. The bodice managed to cover her tightly. Although Hotaru could only take shallow breaths. She was afraid that if she breathed too deeply, her chest would make an unexpected appearance. The skirt barely managed to drop past her butt. The only way to keep the dress from inadvertently exposing herself was to stand perfectly straight and pray no breeze would magically appear. "This was my last hope." She was frustrated. Her proportions were way too skewed to fit into normal clothes.

She angrily rubbed the back of her neck. One of the tags must have scratched her, causing a slight burning sensation at the base of her neck.

"Oh." A quiet voice said behind the pair. Hotaru turned to see her introverted friend. "Is there a problem?" The pale-eyed girl asked.

"Nothing fits right." Frustrated she turned to the mirror next to Shikamaru. She was about to give up on buying clothes all together. 'Choji's hand-me-downs will just have to work.' She told herself.

"I can help." Hinata offered. "I have to same problem. I would love to have a normal body." She said with a self-depreciating laugh.

"Your body is fine the way it is. Naruto thinks so." Shikamaru stated, his eyes still closed. Hinata blushed profusely at the mention of the Uzumaki boy. She took a moment to compose herself before turning her attention back to Hotaru. She looked at the tag on the inside of Hotaru's dress.

Walking away, she sweetly mumbled, "Wait here. I'll be right back." She came back minutes later with an armful of clothes. "I picked out a couple dresses, shirts, pants. I guessed your size on them, so if they don't fit, tell me how and where the sizing is off, and I can get you something else."

Hotaru gladly returned to the changing station. 'Please let Hinata be better at this than me.' She silently prayed. After a moment, the young Akimichi stepped out of the dressing room wearing one of the dresses Hinata had picked. She looked at herself in the mirror and smirked.

It should have been a tee-length, purple dress, but on Hotaru, the skirt stopped just above her knees. The bodice didn't fit too tightly, allowing her the room to breath properly. The high collar accentuated Hotaru's long neck, while the lack of sleeves showed off her well-maintained arms. Hotaru's pale skin radiated against the deep purple giving her an almost angelic glow, while the gold of her eyes seemed to intensify in contrast to such a dark color. Hinata smiled at the sight of her friend.

"You look beautiful." She exclaimed, as she pulled Hotaru's hair away from her face. She draped the red tresses behind her friend's shoulders. Looking to Shikamaru to back her up, she noticed the man's eyes were still closed. Hinata poked the man's forehead, and pointed to Hotaru. It was an act of kind aggression that could only be given by Hinata. Expecting to see another ill-fitting dress, Shikamaru glanced at the Akimichi. Unwittingly, his eyes widened at the sight of her, cheeks flushing a pale pink color. He swallowed thickly, before closing his eyes.

"Yeah." He agreed with Hinata. She looked divine in that purple dress.

"Go try the rest on! Don't worry about modeling all of them for us, I'm sure they'll fit." Hinata exclaimed in an unusual burst of excitement. Hotaru left the pair to try on the rest. Hinata had bought some time to whisper at Shikamaru.

"You look at her like that and all you can say is 'yeah'?" She asked incredulously. Burrowing deeper into his comfortable chair, Shikamaru didn't reply. He didn't like when Hinata acted out of character. It was not like her to be aggressive with her friends. Or people in general. "You should have at least told her she looked good." Shikamaru remained silent.

* * *

Shikamaru and Hotaru sat on the back veranda of his home as he tried to teach the girl the basics of Shogi. Once he had outlined the rules, they began a practice round in which Hotaru could ask as many questions about the game as she wanted and make mistakes without consequences. As the round proceeded Hotaru gradually figured the game out. She had been silent for awhile before asking a question even Shikamaru had not anticipated.

"Do you miss them?" Hotaru inquired cautiously. "Your dad and Asuma?"

Shikamaru's hand stopped mid-play before continuing as if he had not. "Sometimes more than others." He answered softly. "As days go on it hurt less, but I don't think I'll ever stop. Having Asuma and Kurenai's daughter around helps. And when I walk through the woods, or care for the deer, it helps me feel connected to my father."

"I always liked your dad." Hotaru replied, moving one of her knights. "You look like him, you know? He had a sense of humor, though." The Nara male smirked. He wasn't exactly humorless, but compared to his father Shikamaru was as funny as a corn husk.

"What about you?" Shikamaru asked. "Do you miss all of the people you've lost?"

"Well, I never met my mom, but, yeah, I think I would miss her if I had known her. I haven't thought about my father in years, but when I did think of him it was more hero worship than sadness… When I think about Osamu-sensei, Dai, and Takeshi, it feels like my heart is going to explode. I feel like if I think about them too much I'll… Or when I think about Hajime -" She cut herself off. Tears had begun to surface, but she did not allow them out. "We've all witnessed death in our time. Some honorable, some not so."

The two continued their chess game. Neither one spoke as Hotaru won the match. It had been rigged in her favor, but Hotaru still felt triumphant. She had won against Shikamaru, that was enough to make anyone feel great. Mrs. Nara walked outside soon after to ask if Hotaru was staying for supper.

"No. I should go home. Auntie doesn't like it when I miss dinner." She said as she pushed herself from the ground. Hotaru was met with a large hug from the smaller woman.

"I'm so glad you're home. We were all beside ourselves when you disappeared. I didn't think Shikamaru would ever come out of his depression -"

"Mom.."

"Then he met that Suna girl, Temari, and things gradually got better… I'm so relieved you're home now." Yoshino smiled, holding Hotaru's face in her hands. After a beat, the woman turned and left the two alone. Hotaru looked over to her friend slyly. Shikamaru said nothing as he accompanied the girl to the front of the estate.

Unable to contain herself any longer, Hotaru burst, "So, who is this Temari girl?" Her voice was laced with gossipy intent.

"Doesn't matter." He replied.

"If you don't tell me, I'll just ask Choji."

"Just a girl. Before the war, we had a thing. After the war, we didn't."

"Why?"

"Relationships are more troublesome than they are worth."

"You're kidding." Before Shikamaru could answer, Hotaru scolded him. "I spent nearly half of my life in darkness. Surrounded by cruelty and pain and death. I know what is too much trouble to be worthwhile, and being with someone, having feelings for them and loving them is worth every fleeting second. Having a connection with someone gave me the light I needed to live my life by. It gave me the justification I needed for the horrible things I had to do, because I had something to live for. So don't you dare tell me that the person who gave me the strength to keep fighting, to survive, was not worth it."

Hotaru stomped away from the young Nara, leaving his estate behind her. She hated that lazy, surprisingly thick-headed boy at the moment. Shikamaru watched the angry Akimichi storm away from his home. She had the temper of her Inuzuka mother, that was for sure.

Because of that stupid war, things with Sand kunoichi fell apart. It had been hard for him to end things with Temari, but he had seen too many relationships disintegrate because of elements they could not control. And, it was hard for Shikamaru to carry on with Temari when he still had one small torch that he could not extinguish. One he had unwittingly picked up seven years ago when he held a crying girl in a bathtub.


	12. Chapter 12

_'It's weird looking at your own grave…'_ Hotaru thought as she stared down at a stone that bore her name. The young woman stood in the Konoha cemetery with three bouquets of flowers in hand. She had come to pay her respects to Osamu and her teammates, but found herself standing on her own plot instead. _'I wonder what will happen if I dance on it?'_

She absently itched at the back of her neck. Maybe a bug had bitten it? She didn't know why it had felt so irritated lately, but this blasted itch had been going on for days. The never fading scars she had gained on her neck were still there, but they stopped hurting long ago. This itching felt like a bug bite.

"Maybe I'll ask Shino about it…" She said in a slight daze, mindlessly raking her fingernails over her sensitive skin.

"Maybe you'll ask me what?" A deep, rich voice asked from behind the girl. She screamed as she flinched. Hotaru turned to see the bug user standing a couple rows behind her, staring at her. She couldn't tell what emotion was on his face due to the fact that only his cheeks were visible, but she had no doubt that he was smirking at her overreaction.

Shino had always intrigued the girl. He was a bespectacled enigma that she couldn't quite figure out. When she was young, Hotaru figured it was because, despite feeling close to the boy, she had no clue what he actually looked like. She knew she had seen his face before, but every time she tried to remember what his facial features, all that would come to her was his brown hair. It bothered her that she didn't know his face, especially his eyes. Nothing had frustrated the young Hotaru about him more than not knowing his eye color. There would be times that she would stare intently at his shades hoping she could figure out his eyes. She had a theory that the Aburame had crazy eye colors, like kaleidoscopes, and they were very sensitive to direct sunlight, hence the glasses. But she knew she was wrong. There were plenty of Aburame that didn't wear shades; they all had black eyes.

"I think I have a bug bite." Hotaru answered, snaking her way between the graves to talk with the boy. Pulling the mass of hair out of the way, she showed the insect expert the back of her inflamed neck.

"None that I can see. But, that's because of this scaring." He answered, lightly touching the scars she desperately tried to keep hidden from Konoha. The only scar Hotaru purposely kept visible was the one on her face. All of the others were hidden away; Hotaru even made her hair cover the missing piece of her ear as much as possible. She involuntarily shuddered under his touch. He had cold fingers that felt cool against her burning neck. It felt good. Sensing her shudder and mistaking it for revulsion, Shino pulled his hand away, letting it fall to his side. Many women did not like it when a bug user touched them. "But, you should refrain from itching it further. You've almost broken the skin."

"Thanks." Hotaru dropped her hair and looked over at the boy. "What brings you here? If I can ask."

"You may. I was visiting the war memorial."

"Are you in a hurry to leave?"

"Not particularly."

"Wait for me? I want to pay my respects to Osamu-sensei and Takeshi and Dai." Shino nodded. Together they made their way through the cemetery looking for the three graves. She found Dai's first. Shino stood a respectable distance from Hotaru once the graves were found. He did not want to invade in Hotaru's private moment with her fallen team.

"Hello." She whispered sweetly, kneeling down and setting flowers in front of the stone. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get back here." She brushed grass clipping and specs of dirt from the stone. The girl had to keep her hands busy. Next she found Takeshi. "Nii-san…" She hummed, afraid that if she said more her voice would betray her and she would cry. Again she wiped nonexistent dust from the grave marker. "I'm sorry."

Finally, she stood in front of Osamu's grave. "That day, you told our client that I had the potential to become a great kunoichi, remember?" She mused, tears starting to roll. "You called me mighty, but… I failed you, Osamu-sensei. I got caught, and I've down terrible things. I… I didn't deserve the faith you put in me, Sir. I know I was your favorite, but I shouldn't have been. I was a horrid excuse for a ninja who couldn't even protect her friends. We failed the mission, and it's my fault -"

"What happened that night was not your fault." Shino's voice echoed in the wind. She looked to her left to see the enigmatic man watching her. He took a step toward the young Akimichi. "Choji told us what happened," He continued. "You were following orders. And it is good that you did. That's because, if you had not, you would be dead now as well. Yes, you have gone through seven terrible years, but you are standing here now. Alive. Because Osamu made the decision to send you away. Osamu saved your life. Do not condemn it so freely."

Hotaru's head fell to her chest as she listened to Shino's berating lecture. She openly cried, knowing that what he said held some truth. But she could not help but feel guilt that she had survived when they had died. A hand pressed against her shoulder.

"I am not worthy of Konoha." Hotaru muttered, staring into his dark glasses. "I'm not worthy of you; of anyone who once called me their friend. I'm not -"

Hotaru was unexpectedly thrown into Shino's chest, arms wrapping tightly around her. The Aburame male was not a very intimate person. He would touch someone only when the occasion called for it. Hotaru had actually never touched the boy, so to be wrapped in his arms, receiving a hug from him was a new experience. And she absolutely loved it. He had a strong, wonderful hug that subtly reminded her of her Uncle Choza. It was the kind of embrace that correct the wrongs in the world and left you feeling a warm glow in your heart. "You think too harshly of yourself." He bluntly stated before pushing her away. "You are you. For that, you are worthy of the stars."


	13. Chapter 13

Seven days had passed since coming back to Konoha. Choji and his friends had been spending almost every waking moment with the Akimichi girl. They tried to keep her occupied with trips to the bath house, lazy days on the lake, walks in the woods, anything that would help the girl feel more at home.

While Hotaru did appreciate their efforts she could tell they were still wary of her. She would get angry easily when discussions pushed her too far. Often, she would leave the conversation and the group altogether just to keep herself from yelling at them. If they didn't pry into her past too much, Hotaru was perfectly fine. It wasn't that she did not want to talk about her life, but it was that she wasn't comfortable talking about it yet. There were things that had happened that were still too fresh for her to deal with. And the constant passive pressure to talk made the young Akimichi feel trapped. And like all feral animals, when she was trapped, she lashed out. She snarl and barked to scar them away so she could lick her wounds in peace.

The group had made plans to take the Akimichi girl to the Korean Barbecue. It had been her favorite restaurant when she was younger and had yet to have a meal with all of them together. They had all picked the girl and her cousin up from their estate and were walking toward the center of the village. Everyone was laughing and joking, even Hotaru. She would occasionally let out one of her high-pitched cackles. Her friends would smile and be contentedly happy to hear her laugh, because that was _her_ laugh. It wasn't the snarky giggle or short snort that they heard the most since she came back, but the full on, happy to be alive laugh they had known before her disappearance.

Both Shikamaru and Shino picked up on a slight habit Hotaru had when she laughed. When the group was all together, Hotaru never strayed far from her adoptive brother. She was always within an arm's reach of him. And every time that cackle left her mouth, she would subtly take hold of Choji's hand, and squeeze. The young woman would let go almost immediately, but once she let loose another hearty roar, her hand went back to her cousin.

The Nara male looked to the Aburame, knowing he had caught on as well. Shino answered the question on Shikamaru's mind. "She does that because she needs a reminder that her happiness is not a cruel dream."

The others were not aware, but Hotaru had turned Shino into her confidant. She had told him many things about her life: the battles in which she partook, how she got the scar on her face, how her master died, how she escaped. He did not understand why Hotaru felt comfortable sharing her life with him and not someone she had previously been close with, but Shino accepted it. He graciously recognized the vote of confidence and listened to her. The group slowly came upon their destination and filed in to the restaurant. They all sat around the table, waiting for their waiter to come.

The evening progressed as the friends all chatted amongst themselves. Hotaru listened intently to all of them talking about their lives and plans. Kiba, Choji, and Hinata would be assigned their first genin team within the next week. Lee and Shikamaru discussed the upcoming chuunin exam. Tenten and Shino were analyzing a new weapon the girl wanted to use. The rest of the group were making plans concerning the upcoming star festival. It was still a month away, but the friends all seemed eager.

"You're joining us, right Hotaru?" Sakura inquired. As she spoke, the waiter came to their table with the meats for them to cook.

"Oh, um… I guess?" Hotaru responded.

"Plus," Kiba added, 'It's my birthday! Wouldn't want to miss your favorite dog lover's birthday, would you?" He laughed heartily. Despite still being the most apprehensive about getting close to Hotaru, Kiba could sense the darkness he felt had receded immensely in the short time she had been in Konoha. It was still there, glaringly oppressive to him, but he could sense that when she was with them the darkness didn't seem so imposing.

Choji's stomach rumbled as he lovingly placed piece after piece on the grill. The meats began to sizzle over the hot coals. Something about the noise disturbed Hotaru. Intently, she stared at the cooking food, trying to puzzle out why the sound bothered her so. Then the smell hit her nose; roasting flesh burning on iron.

Hotaru gagged, and quickly jumped away from the table. She put her hand to her mouth, as if to will her nausea away. She had not smelled anything like cooking meat in seven years. Even when she had been at home, she never actually smelled the meats her aunt cooked. But, this was too close and real. Memories of her first weeks in captivity came flooding back to her, causing her to bolt from the restaurant.

"Hotaru?" Naruto asked, standing from the table to chase after her. The rest of the Konoha 11 followed suit, trailing the nauseated girl. Shikamaru quickly threw money on the table before leaving. He found everyone huddled around the Akimichi female in an alleyway.

Hotaru was on her hands and knees, vomiting. She had thrown up everything in her stomach and was currently dry heaving on the ground. Sakura held the girl's long red hair as Ino rubbed her back comfortingly. Once Hotaru had calmed down, she collapsed, barely missing her puddle of bile. She was crying. Partly because of the vomit, mostly because of the memories she had wished to forget.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked, as he helped sit Hotaru up right.

"I-I can't go back in there." Hotaru responded.

"We won't make you." Tenten stated, kneeling down next to the girl. She pushed Hotaru's matted hair from her face. Nausea flipped her stomach causing Hotaru's face to contort uncomfortably. Hotaru's hand shot towards her cousin, desperately needing him.

"What's wrong?" Choji questioned. He knelt down beside her, firmly taking hold of her long fingers. Despite how rough and large her hands were, her fingers were surprisingly long and feminine.

"The smell. Burning… Burning flesh." It was all she could muster. With her free hand, Hotaru lifted her shirt, revealing her heavily scared abdomen. Just above her navel, was an intricate design that had been burned into her. It was obviously old, but the scar matter still shone a sickly red against her pale skin.

"What is that?" Lee asked.

"It's a brand." Shino answered for Hotaru.

Collectively, the group looked to the bespectacled boy. "What?"

"After I was captured," Hotaru spoke weakly, "I don't remember when, but it wasn't more than a month afterwards, I tried to escape. I made it out of the complex. I was in the woods, it was the middle of night. But I was so weak and hungry, and… I never was a very good ninja. They found me almost right away. Took me back to the Boss and had me branded. Had me branded so I would remember that I belonged to him. The pain was… It was… And the smell. The smell…" Her stomach lurched again, causing Hotaru to dry heave.

She began crying again. Holding back her sobs, Hotaru continued, "figuring what my next move would be, he put a curse seal on me that prevented me from killing him or myself. He put it on my ribs. But I kept trying to run away. I didn't give up. I was desperate to come home. Eventually, they sealed me again on the back of my neck." She pulled her hair away from her neck, and turned to show the group. On what should have been perfect porcelain skin lay the intricate seal. They hadn't just sealed the girl, they carved the curse into her skin. The scarred seal shone white against the red, irritated flesh of her neck. She had continued to scratch at it despite Shino's warnings. "This time they bound me to the complex. So long as Boss was alive and that seal was on my body, I could never leave.

"I was trapped in my cage. They took all hope from me. Boss had done the same to Hajime when he had been brought in as a prize fighter. I think that was why we managed to survive. The others had the hope of someday leaving the arena; someday buying back their freedom. They were there to pay off debts owed to Boss. He didn't pick them. But Hajime and me… He chose us. He wanted us. And because of that, we would never be allowed to leave. We had no hope. Nothing to live for. We had nothing to loose, and that made us strong. 'Only the strong remain'."


	14. Chapter 14

_Tap. Tap tap. tap tap tap._

"Shikamaru…" A voice slowly pulled the boy out of his sleep.

_Tap tap tap tap. Tap. Tap tap tap!_ An annoying sound pelted at his window. "Shikamaru." The voice called his name again. He begrudgingly looked to the window, cursing whatever foul creature had woken him. It was nearly two in the morning, and he bad been in the midst of a perfectly pleasant dream.

"Shikamaru!" The voice half yelled. He threw his covers from his body and stomped toward the window. If one thing mad him angry, it was being rudely woken up during a good dream. The Nara male tore apart his curtains and opened the glass in an absolute rage. He shoved his head and torso out of open window into the night.

"What!?" He yelled into the darkness. Shikamaru blinked awkwardly. His face was centimeters from ramming straight into Hotaru's nose. "What are you doing?" He pulled away quickly.

"I couldn't sleep."

"So you decided I shouldn't sleep either?" He should not be awake right now, and he could hear his bed calling for him to come back; pleading to him like a jealous lover. Shikamaru was fine if someone woke him from a nap - he knew he shouldn't really be napping anyway. But waking him from his nighttime slumber was off limits.

"Let me in." Hotaru looked around nervously, as if being in the night air bothered her. She kept glancing behind her, anxiously waiting for someone to attack her.

"No. Go home, Hotaru."

"Please?" She beseeched him, placing her hand atop the one he rested on the window sill. "Please, Shikamaru..." She was begging. Even the child he had known did not beg. Shikamaru stepped aside, letting the girl enter his bedroom through the window. She tripped as her foot caught on the sill, sending Hotaru crashing toward the floor. He gracefully caught her and set her upright.

Hotaru's elegant fingers were glued to the young man's bare chest and left arm. His muscled torso had surprised the her. She knew he would be in good shape - he was a shinobi after all - but she had not expected him to be so well defined. He had a slender body, but his pectorals gave his chest the illusion of being broad. There seemed to be endless rows of masterfully crafted abs, stretching down his stomach. Below his navel, a small trail of hair pulled her attention toward his boxers. There was just enough meat on his boney hips to give him the all powerful V-shape. Which also pointed Hotaru's attention ever so slightly south. In her right hand, strong shoulders and rolling deltoids lovingly gave way to sleek and powerful biceps that felt rock hard in Hotaru's palm. His muscles contracted under his smooth skin, but let themselves release a moment later.

Shikamaru watched as Hotaru's hands gently tightened around his muscles. She jerked her attention to his face. His hair was freed of its normal pineapple-shaped pony-tail, and hung loosely about his shoulders. Hotaru had never seen him with his hair down. She had just assumed that the pineapple was a permanent fixture atop his head. The Akimichi girl stepped back from him, staring at a very intriguing spec of imaginary dust on the floor.

"Sorry." She whispered, awkwardly clutching her body in her arms.

"Why are you here?" He asked, choosing to ignore lingering heat of her hands.

"I couldn't sleep." She answered again.

"So you decided to walk all the way to the other side of the village, at two in the morning, and wake me up?" She stood silently, the imaginary dust as interesting as ever. "Hotaru, it's late. Go home." She said nothing with her head bowed like a guilty dog. He was tired. He didn't want to deal with her right now. He was angry at his rude awakening, and he just wanted to go back to sleep. And so, he snapped. "You're so troublesome! Just go home!"

"Please, Shika." She whispered in response to his yells. "Please. Just, let me stay here. Just for the night." She still had yet to make eye contact with the boy. But he knew exactly how her eyes would look. They would be full of anguish and pain; borderline heartbroken. He knew this because Hotaru had called him 'Shika'. That nickname was reserved for only her most distraught moments when no one else would listen to her. She had only called him Shika twice before; once when he cleaned wounds inflicted on her by bullies, the second in that bathtub. The girl was desperate for him to just be present. He wouldn't have to talk, he wouldn't have to listen. She just needed him to be her friend.

Shikamaru sighed deeply. With one hand he scratched his head, the other waved her toward his large bed.

She hesitated before climbing into the bed. She lay on Shikamaru's favorite side, but he chose to forgive the intrusion. It would only be for one night. It was a drag, but he would just deal with it. He hunkered down on the wrong side of his bed, back to the Akimichi girl, and pulled his blanket up around him. As soon as his head hit the pillow, Shikamaru was asleep again.

* * *

There was movement from the girl's side of the bed. "Quit jiggling." He snapped at her, but it continued. "Hotaru, if you're going to sleep here," Shikamaru turned to scold the girl. But she was not laying next to him. Instead, she sat down at the foot of the bed with her head in her hands. Soft whimpers escaped her lips. She shook violently; shivering despite the humid night. Hotaru was oblivious to the fact that he was awake. Shikamaru watched her as she continued to cry as silently as she could. One hand slid to her neck. Fingernails raked heavily against her skin. He could see small droplets of blood unintentionally following the nails.

"Hey." The boy sat up, and reached out to touch her shoulder. With a squeak, she jumped and pulled herself away from Shikamaru. "Hotaru." She looked over to him as if finally realizing she wasn't alone. "What's the matter with you?"

"I can still see them when I close my eyes." She spoke, finally acknowledging him. "The night is when it's the worst. I-I can't sleep. I see them, Shika."

"Who?"

"I had to kill so many… So many. And they won't let me sleep." She began bashing the heel of her palms against her temples as she spoke. Hotaru was hitting herself so hard that he could hear bone colliding against bone. Shikamaru lunged across the bed to pull her hands away.

"Stop!" He forced her hands down to her sides. "Stop. Hurting yourself will not help, okay?" Her head dropped to her chest. Shikamaru forced himself to ask a question he did not want to ask. "Have you hurt yourself in any other way?" Hotaru shook her head no. Thank the gods. "Good. Are you talking to your therapist about this?" She nodded.

"She wants to put me on some kind of meds."

"I think that would be a good idea. Have you started taking them?"

"No. The medical division has to make them."

"How long have you… seen them? The people you've killed?"

"Ever since my first fight. I kept reliving it over and over, and they just kept coming." Her voice grew steadily more gruff and unnerved as she spoke; thick with swallowed sobs. "All of their faces burned into my mind; hating me for taking their lives." She looked up, tears rolling on her cheeks. One got caught along the scar on her right cheek, and followed the imperfection across her face to her missing earlobe. "I hate myself so much, but I had to, Shika. I had to…"

"Before, when you were still fighting, how did you sleep?" She was silent as she looked away from him. "Hotaru, I can only help you if you tell me how." Hotaru snorted derisively. "You are the most troublesome woman I have ever met - including my mom - but I want to help."

"Hajime." She finally answered. "Hajime would let me sleep in his quarters when I would wake up from the nightmares."

Shikamaru took hold of the girl's hand, and pulled her to the head of the bed. As she lay down, he wrapped his arms around her her torso. She pressed her forehead into his chest. The scent of camellias wafted into Shikamaru's nose. Hotaru lay silent in his arms for the majority of the night. She fought sleep as best she could. Eventually, the calming warmth that radiated from the Nara male and the added comfort of the safety found in his arms lulled the girl to sleep. She slept soundly for the first time since coming back to Konoha.


	15. Chapter 15

Hotaru was trying harder to let people in. But she found it more difficult than she wanted it to be. After the night she had spent with Shikamaru, Hotaru stopped talking. Despite the fact that it felt good to talk to him, she didn't speak her friends for two days afterwards.

During her daily therapy sessions, Hotaru would talk more about how she felt about being back in Konoha than the last seven years. She would ramble to her therapist about how others treated her or looked at her. She would sometimes discuss the emotional ramifications of her past. Those topics had to be pried from the girl at first. Eventually, Hotaru would give up and talk only because Keiko was her therapist; it was her job to pry. While Hotaru was emotionally unstable, all of her symptoms and reactions were perfectly within the scope of reason. Keiko simply did not see Hotaru as a threat to herself or the village in general. The therapist had put her on some medications; hoping those could help ease her mental load.

Hotaru was starting to adjust to living in the village. She was trying to open up more. The girl wasn't good at it at all, but she was trying. There was an attempt to make herself better and that was what counted. Nothing about Hotaru suggested to the therapist that she would become violent if provoked. It seemed she had a good gauge on what angered or perturbed her, and knew when to walk away from the situation before it upset her too much. The only problem with this was that it allowed the young Akimichi the ability not to deal with some subjects that she desperately needed to address.

This did not please the Hokage. Hotaru had told Tsunade the details of her captivity with brevity. She only spoke of the very basics of what happened to her: how she was taken, the type of restraints they had put on her, being forced into an arena to fight for her life. Tsunade wanted specific details about the girl's life for the past seven years, not vague references and updates on her weakened emotional state. She wanted to know how she would react when provoked and had no option of running away. Lady Tsunade wanted answers about the girl.

"But, Lady Hokage," Keiko pleaded. "The purpose of her counseling is to help the girl acclimate to village life. It's a safe place for her to talk about whatever she needs to talk about. And even if she did disclose the personal details of her life outside the village, I'm not at liberty to discuss it with you. If I felt she were a threat to the village or herself, I would inform you of it. Simply put, the girl just wants to start living a normal life here. She wants to put her past behind her and move on."

"I understand that. The fact remains that she has only told us the bare minimum of her life out there. I still don't know whether or not I am housing a dangerous criminal in my village. There are details about her life that I absolutely must know. No one can get them from her. And none of my informants outside the village even seemed to know there was an illegal fighting den in the Fire Country, let alone the kind of people who participated in it.

"I'm sorry, but if you want the intimate details about her life, you will have to get them from Hotaru herself. I don't have anything of any value for you."

As soon as the counselor finished speaking, there was a knock on the Hokage's office door.

"Enter… You are dismissed, Keiko." The therapist left the office as Choji and Choza entered.

"Thank you for coming." The Hokage greeted the two Akimichis. "I have come to a decision concerning Hotaru. Because you are her family, I thought it would be best if she heard it from you rather than myself."

"Yes, Lady Hokage." The pair replied.

"I've decided that Hotaru should retire from being a ninja of Konoha. Given her circumstances, I believe a civilian life would be one best suited for her."

"You cannot do this." Choji spoke calmly. He wanted to throw all kindness he felt towards her away, to yell at the Hokage and tell her she was making a mistake. The young man wanted to protect Hotaru's pride, but he could not fight with his village leader. "This is not a decision you can make without consulting Hotaru. Being a kunoichi is her dream."

"Was her dream. Seven years is a long time, and she just isn't -"

"Don't you tell me she isn't stable enough to return to missions. She isn't now, but give her time. Let her take an extended medical leave, and-"

"If I do, and she goes on a mission that triggers some memory, confuses her, and her mind convinces her that she's back in that arena, then what? She could put herself, her team, and this entire village in danger."

"You have no proof that would -"

"My decision is final, Akimichi!" Tsunade slammed her fists into her desk. The poor wood cracked in two, sending scrolls and documents flying about the room.

"She is not some mindless, killing machine, Lady Hokage." Choji countered. His voice was struggling to remain calm. "She is a citizen of this village, and one of your shinobi. She deserves to be given a chance!"

Tsunade sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "She has killed countless people, Choji."

"Your shinobi kill all the time. We are forced into life and death situations constantly. How is Hotaru's circumstance any different? She survived for seven years in a prison designed to kill her. She is strong, able bodied, and could easily work her way up to being a jonin. Give her a chance. You can't take her dream away."

"Her retirement is what is best for her." Choza finally weighed in his opinion. It pained him, but the Hokage was right. A civilian life would keep her safe and allow her the stability she needed to return to her old self. "Look past the girl you knew, and try to look at the woman she is now. She cannot go back out on missions, now or in the future. The mind is fragile, and once broken it can be hard to fix. You have to recognize that letting her continue as a kunoichi could undo everything she is and will work on to fix herself. The Hokage is protecting her, Choji. And by protecting her, she is protecting this village."


	16. Chapter 16

As the two Akimichis stood in the Hokage's office discussing the young woman, Hotaru knocked on an old, familiar door. It had been one of the few salvageable pieces left over from Pein's invasion. She hadn't visited this home much when she was younger. It was always too far away and secluded for her liking. But now that she was back, she felt a sense of nostalgia for it that brought her to this home on many occasions. She needed to be away from the rest of the world, and this large estate was the perfect fix. The front door opened slowly to reveal the bespectacled boy.

"Hotaru." Shino greeted. The girl bowed her head in reply. He stepped aside to let his guest in the door. Hotaru sat down to remove her shoes.

"I heard you had the day off." She noted, stretching her toes as far apart as she could muster. For the majority of the last seven years, Hotaru walked everywhere and did everything barefoot. Constantly wearing shoes for the last month was starting to make her feel like she was strangling her poor toes. They desperately cried to be set free while encumbered by her shoes, and the relief she felt when she took her shoes off was pure bliss.

"I was just about to have lunch. Would you like some?" the dark-haired boy asked as the pair made their way into his home. Before she could answer, Hotaru's stomach growled. Since that night at the restaurant, Hotaru wasn't a fan of food. Hotaru had grown accustomed to the tasteless and seemingly odorless gruel that was given to her and the rest of the fighters. The taste of everything she ate after coming back to Konoha exploded in her mouth. So many different flavors, textures, and smells left her overwhelmed to the point where she couldn't eat. But after a month of almost no food in her system, she was starting to become hungry.

The Akimichis could not understand how she seemed to despise food. Choji understood a little, but the rest of the clan was at a loss with the girl. Food was their power source in more ways than most of the villagers. And yet, Choza had almost force fed her on a couple of occasions. Choji's parents were more worried about their niece's health than anything else. She didn't eat for extended periods of time, and almost seemed to be loosing what weight she had gained since coming home. There were times Choza and his wife swore she looked like the skeletal girl they had raised.

Shino smirked at her stomach's blatant response. "That is a yes, then." He replied. Hotaru smiled. Shino treated her differently from the others. Everyone was kind to her, but they all skirted carefully around her. It seemed to Hotaru that they were afraid that if they made a wrong move or said something, Hotaru would catch fire and burn the village to the ground. Hotaru knew they were holding back, waiting for the girl to either implode or share her darkest memories with them. She also knew they were reporting to Tsunade about her. She wasn't an idiot, Hotaru could guess even the most basic strategies the woman would put in place to keep the village safe when it came to the Akimichi girl.

But Shino was different. He made her feel more welcome than even Choji had. Not that her cousin was lacking in care and concern for her. Shino just left her be, knowing full well that he could dance around her all he liked but that would get him nowhere. Shikamaru was close to this realization, and quite frankly Hotaru was surprised he hadn't figured it out yet.

"How are you doing?" Asking as he split his light meal between two plates. He genuinely wanted to know. Shino didn't ask as a lead in to probe her about her life before Konoha.

"I'm… good, I think." Hotaru answered honestly.

"Shouldn't that be something you know?" Shino questioned, placing their plates on the kitchen table.

"To be honest, the way everyone is treating me… It kind of feels like I was never gone." Hotaru replied. She tried to hide the sadness in her voice, but Shino wasn't going to let her comment slide past him.

"What do you mean?"

"They're treating me the same way they did when I was little. To them, I was some fragile thing that needs to be protected from herself. I could never grow, because they never gave me the chance. It's the same way now. They skirt around me, deciding what is or isn't in my best interest without consulting me… And I know you all are spying on me for Tsunade."

"Do you think that maybe the reason they treat you the way they do is because they don't know how to get past the last seven years?" Shino postulated. "You've told me some things about your life. And as your friend I have kept your secrets. Yes, I do report to Lady Tsunade about our meetings, however I do not give her intimate details, because that was your wish. But, you really haven't talked to anyone else about what happened to you or the things you've done. Because you won't talk to them, they are compensating as best they can with what little they know about you."

Hotaru thought for a moment. She sat, silently taking in the things the boy had said. The pair didn't talk for the remainder of their meal.

"Do you have plans this afternoon?" She finally asked. Shino shook his head no. "Want to go for a walk? You can teach me about insects." She added, trying to entice the man to come with her.

* * *

The two walked throughout woods surrounding Konoha. Hotaru listened to Shino's calm voice as he lectured her about different insects found around the village. Hotaru loved listening to him speak. She didn't much care what Shino talked about, so long as he kept talking. He had a gentle voice that seemed to float to her ears. She loved how how deep and rich it could be. His voice calmed her. She listened, half in a day dream, as they left the woods and returned to the village. They had been strolling about for half the day, not really paying attention to time.

"Hotaru? May I ask you something?" Shino probed as they made their way back towards the Akimichi residence.

"Hmm?" she replied.

"Why not confide in Choji or Shikamaru?"

"Well," she said, still slightly in her day dream, "I think you are intelligent and wise in ways that are different from Shikamaru. He has the brain of a tactician. He can plan and plot, and he can see the heart of a matter. But you understand the heart better than he does, in my opinion. You care about your friends in a different way than everyone else, and I find that appealing. And, unlike the others, you don't expect me to talk to you. Even if they know it will be sometime in the future, it's like they all expect me to tell them everything. You don't. You just listen when I have something to say… And I find your voice soothing."

"Why would you find my voice soothing? Because I remind you of Hajime?"

"In a way, yes." Hotaru answered. She had made some comparisons between the two over the last couple weeks. "Hajime tended to keep his emotions controlled like you do. But no. That's not why. Your voice is low and dulcet… Like a lullaby; comforting. Doesn't matter what you're saying - not that I don't listen - just as long as you speak."

Shino blushed behind his high collar. He had never been complimented quite like that and didn't know how to respond to Hotaru's kind words. They rounded a corner to find a loud crash come from a nearby alley.

A group of young men stood surrounding an older man on the ground. The younger men were accosting him. Their words were lost to Hotaru. She saw one man kick the downed elder in the stomach as she and Shino walked into the alleyway. Before Shino could stop her, she ran towards the men.

He was amazed at how swiftly the girl moved. She was halfway down the alley before Shino had time to realize his companion was no longer next to him. Before any of the men could react to the woman barreling towards them, Hotaru was upon the group.

Hotaru pulled the kicking man away from his target and threw him down to the ground. One of the young comrades threw a punch at the woman, but she caught his fist before breaking his arm at the elbow and pinned him to the wall. The first man tried his luck with the girl. Hotaru extended her leg behind her, her heel caught the underside of his chin. He flew from the woman and lay unconscious next to the old man. The third of the aggressors ran away.

Clenching her hand around the pinned man's neck, Hotaru punched his ribs with her free hand. She hit him harder and harder until Shino could hear his ribs crack. The man yelped from the pain. Her grip around his neck was too tight for the man to voice anything louder than a yip.

"That's enough!" Shino exclaimed. He took hold of Hotaru's fist. Only seconds had passed since entering the alley, but Hotaru had managed an onslaught of violence. Hotaru dropped the man and turned her gaze on her friend.

The Aburame boy was shocked by the woman standing before him. She was not the same sweet Hotaru he had been talking to seconds ago. Her eyes were cast upon him with a ferocity he had never seen before. Cadmium eyes of a wolf stared at him, daring him to make a move. She stood tall - Shino thought she looked like the embodiment of a feral beast. Hotaru looked from the boy to her captured fist then back. He could tell she was calculating how to proceed with him. She sneered at the Aburame, knowing exactly where to hit him to exact the maximum amount of damage.

Just as he was preparing himself to fight to control the girl, Hotaru's eye's fluttered shut. She took a deep breath. When she opened her thick eyelids, kindness had returned to the yellow orbs. Shino let go of the girl's fist, certain that what ever rage had possessed her was momentarily suppressed.

Behind the girl, 6 ANBU descended. She did not have time to notice until four grabbed her by the arms and legs, one took hold of her torso, and tried forced the girl to the ground. She did not go down easily.

Hotaru railed her left forearm against the ANBU member who had captured her. Despite the minimal amount of torque behind the hit, it was powerful enough to send the masked man to the ground. With her arm now free, Hotaru damasked the captor of her right arm. The porcelain mask crumbled in her powerful hand. Using a shard as a knife, Hotaru stabbed the person holding her midsection. The makeshift knife pierced all the way through her captor's hand, stopping inside of Hotaru's ribcage. The crazed woman pulled the shard from her body as though she were picking out a sliver. With her torso now free, Hotaru used the ANBU holding her right arm as a fulcrum and swung around his body, throwing the men at her feet off her. They hit against an alley wall with a colossal smack. The woman stood up and took hold of the unmasked man's neck. Her left hand bore her nails into the ANBU's throat. She made fighting a squad of elite ANBU look like child's play.

However, Hotaru was too caught up in her display of dominance over the unmasked man to notice that there were six ANBU. The last ANBU grabbed hold of her hair, and pulled her away from her prey. She let out a howl as the ANBU tugged at her. He wrenched her hair upwards, exposing her neck. The entire back of her neck was red, and stained with dried blood from scratch marks. The damn thing kept itching. The ANBU jabbed a syringe in the girl's neck and injected her with a sedative. It took a moment before the drug kicked in.

She clawed at the ANBU member's hand, still trying to fight for her freedom. Hotaru lost her balance, and was caught buy the six ANBU. They forced her to the ground until she was fully unconscious. As the sedative started to take effect, the fury left the girl's eyes. She looked over to Shino, who stood above her and the mass of ANBU. If he hadn't known any better, Shino would have thought the girl looked helpless. Her bright yellow eyes dulled as heavy eyelids closed around them. She stopped resisting the masked men, who easily picked her up and began carrying her away.

"Where are you taking her?" Shino asked the men. They said nothing.

* * *

**So... after this, the flashbacks are going to star up again. Please don't hate me for that. But, you will be getting more of Hotaru's time away. So, compromise?**


	17. Chapter 17

"She attacked civilians!" Tsunade yelled at the nine people and dog that stood before her desk. After the ANBU that carried off a drugged Hotaru disappeared, Shino was able to round up the remainder of the Konoha 11. They ran to the Hokage to find out what was to be done with the Akimichi girl.

"Hotaru was trying to protect a civilian." Shino countered.

"Two men are in the hospital. One of them has a broken arm, three broken ribs, and a punctured lung. It took 6 ANBU to take her down! She could have killed someone."

"She had good intentions at first." Shino calmly stated.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Kiba mumbled under his breath. He had tried to like the new Hotaru, and had succeeded in some regards, but he could not allow the savage beating she had delivered to go unpunished.

"I don't care what her intentions were. She put innocent civilians in danger -"

"With all do respect, Lady Hokage," Shino interrupted, "but those men were not innocent. They were beating a man in the streets, and Hotaru tried to stop them… She lost herself somewhere. She had managed to get herself back under control. But when your ANBU came to stop her, she had to fight back. That's because she was listening to her animal instinct, not her reasoning logic. She was defending herself."

Tsunade was about to reprimand Shino when she was cut off by Choji. "What are you doing to her?"

"That is of no concern for all of you." Tsunade answered. "We are holding Hotaru until we can decide on what the correct punishment should be for her."

"Bullshit!" Naruto exploded. "It does concern us, ya know!? Hotaru lost her temper, that's all. It's not like you've never lost control of your abilities, Granny Tsunade!"

"I never tried to kill -"

"What about the time you almost killed Jiraiya because he was peeping?" Naruto countered. Before the Hokage could argue back, Naruto spoke. "She lost control of her temper because she was trying to help one of her fellow villagers. Why are you so blind to that?"

"497." Was all that Tsunade said. Everyone stood confused by the Hokage's number.

"What does 497 mean?" Hinata asked.

"That was how many people she has killed in the last seven years."

"How do you know this?" Lee asked.

"Because Ino is searching through Hotaru's memories as we speak. We're trying to determine just how dangerous the girl is before we proceed… But, Hotaru's mind is surprisingly strong and so far all Ino has been able to find are snippets of memories. Like the number of people she has killed."

"And their faces." Shikamaru added. Everyone turned to the man. "Hotaru told me that she remembers all of them. Every single person she ever faced off against is burned into her memory. That's how she punishes herself for their murders."

"Why did you keep this from me?" Tsunade demanded. She felt an indescribable rage at the boy she had relied so heavily on when it came to information concern Hotaru. He said nothing, looking down ashamedly at the floor.

He didn't know why he had kept this secret for the girl. But that night, when she had come to his room pleading for someone to comfort her… He could not break the confidence she had placed in him. She had trusted him in seeking out a safe place. Shikamaru just could not betray that.

"I would like to see Ino's interrogation." Choji demanded.

"Me too." Everyone agreed. Tsunade sighed. It wasn't strictly legal to let them watch the interrogation, but she knew that if she refused, Naruto -followed by the rest of them - would find a way in. She stood and motioned for the group to follow her.

Deep inside Konoha's Intelligence division, Ino was getting no where with Hotaru. The girl was sedated, which should have made Ino's job all the more easier, but Hotaru's mind was garbled. Nothing was where it was supposed to be. Ino tried to draw out memories, but she would find nothing but falsities and static. Giving up for a moment, Ino broke the connection with Hotaru's mind.

"Ino." Lady Tsunade's voice came from behind the blonde. The Yamanaka girl turned to see the Hokage and her friends standing before her. Ino informed the group of the wall she had hit.

"Even though she's sedated, she's blocking me. Someone trained her mind very well." Ino said. Without a word, Choji walked toward his cousin. Kneeling beside the unconscious girl, he spoke.

"Hotaru," he whispered in her ear. The girl's eyes unconsciously fluttered in recognition of his voice. "You have to let Ino in. She can help you if you just let her."

Behind the Akimichi pair, Tsunade spoke, "Since you have an audience now, I think it would be best to use that new technique." Ino nodded as she stepped toward the cousins.

"Please stand back, Choji." Ino said, placing her hand on his shoulder. The boy joined his friends. Ino set her right hand on Hotaru's head and her left hand on a piece of equipment next to the unconscious girl. The machinery sprang to life, projecting a white light onto the far wall.

"What is this?" Kiba asked.

"Ino has created a way to project memories she sees into the real world." Tsunade answered. "This way, multiple people can review them and pull more information from them. The people who watch can't experience the memories like Ino can, but it helps to gather more information."

The white light came into focus, showing an inexplicably large man with black hair and eyes staring down at them. He had rather angular features and was surprisingly young for the size of his bulk.

"Who is that?" Sakura asked, staring up at the attractive man.

"Hajime." Choji answered.

"Shh!" Tsunade scolded the friends. They all returned their attention to the projection.

* * *

*** 6 years previous ***

Hajime stood over the small girl. She was kneeling on the floor, trying hard to catch her breath. She had been training under the man for a year and had yet to enter the ring; for that Hotaru was grateful. The large man was tough on the girl, but he did it for her benefit. Once she would be thrown into the ring, there would be no mercy waiting for her in there. Her training was not something that the brute took lightly. He would push her until she would pass out from exhaustion. After a half a day of rest, Hotaru would be back in the dojo sparring with the man.

"Again." he demanded. The girl didn't move. She tried to will her body to push itself off of the ground, but all she could do was tremble and wait for her lungs to start working again. He grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her to her feet. There was enough force behind the pull that Hotaru was surprised he hadn't dislocated her arm. "Again!"

"Yes, sir!" She attacked the man, forcing herself to breath. Hotaru managed to hold her own against his taijutsu for a couple minutes before he jabbed her in the back. He had not hit the girl very hard, but she let out a painful yelp. Hotaru crumpled to the ground in the fetal position.

"Get up." Hotaru did not move. "What is wrong with you!? I said get up!" He pulled the girl by her shirt, revealing her back. Her skin was a mess of purple and brown bruises. "Who did this?" He asked, kneeling beside the girl's body. He knew he was rough on her, but he never left a mark on the girl. He needed her to trust him. If he left her riddled with bruises like this, she would never give him the trust he needed from her. Hajime repeated himself, "Who did this to you?"

"Riku… You were gone yesterday. Riku said he would train me. But he just…" Hotaru couldn't continue. She was a little bigger than she was a year ago but the girl was still small. Almost too small to defend herself against most of the other fighters.

"Go find Tendo. Have him heal you." Hajime said, he was tough but he wasn't stupid, the girl would be worthless to him if she were riddled with bruises and fractured bones. He helped Hotaru up and escorted her out of the dojo. The man he wished to speak to was outside the door, sparing with another fighter. "Riku. Here. Now."

The man who was half Hajime's size walked into the dojo. The door slammed shut. Despite his calm demeanor, Hotaru knew Hajime was beyond anger. If Riku hadn't savagely beaten her, she would have feared for his safety. The girl snaked her way through the subterranean complex to find Tendo. He functioned as the combatants' doctor.

Tendo was a kind man with surprisingly small hands. The young girl always thought of doctors as having large, all encompassing hands. But, Tendo's hands seemed to be the exception that proved the rule. Hotaru couldn't imagine how he had come to work for such a terrible person as Boss. At some point, he had been a medical ninja for Kirigakure. But now, he fixed up the poor souls forced to fight.

Tendo had been slowly teaching her some easy medical jutsus just in case she needed a quick fix. Hotaru was pretty good at them, despite the fact that she wore a collar that suppressed the majority of her chakra. How she was supposed to fight when she couldn't even mold a proper amount of chakra confused the girl. There was still enough chakra in her that she could convert what few calories she had saved into medicinal chakra and heal whatever illness plagued her, but not enough to fight like a trained kunoichi. When she walked into Tendo's work space, the ninja sighed. This was not the first time she had come to him after being beaten. The bruises on her torso only took seconds to heal.

"I wish you would tell me who is doing this to you." Tendo said. "Hajime or I could put a stop to it."

"Hajime is talking to him now."

"I'll go back with you then. Don't want Hajime 'talking' the man to death." He laughed. Tendo patted Hotaru's shoulder and escorted the girl back to the dojo. She had been at the complex for a year, but still wasn't allowed to go certain places without an escort. She had been too much of a flight risk in the past; hence the two seals and chakra collar. Even though she was now sealed to the underground complex and fighting arena above, Boss wanted to drill the fact that she would never leave into her head.

They reached the dojo where Hotaru could hear the muffled sounds of fighting. Opening the door, Hotaru saw a sight that horrified the 13 year old. Riku was bracing his hands on his knees, and spat out a glob of blood. He had been beaten beyond recognition. The sight of the blood that poured from the man glued the frightened girl to her spot. She had not known until this moment that she was afraid of the red substance.

The large, brutish Hajime came forward and took hold of Riku's head. He snapped the bloody man's neck with a simple twist. Letting the head go, Riku's body slumped heavily on the floor. Hajime stood over a bloody, mangled body that had once been a man. Blood was caked on Hajime's sleeves, and dripped from his clenched fists. Hajime flicked his wrists, sending droplets of blood about the room, before wiping his hands clean on his shirt.

"Shit, man!" Tendo yelled. The doctor rushed over to the broken Riku, pushing the brute out of the way. He kneeled next to the bloody man.

"He died knowing he should have never touched my student."

"Yoshiro will have your balls for this, Hajime."

"No." Hajime responded arrogantly. "He won't. Come, Hotaru. We're done for today." Obediently, the girl followed her master.

"You didn't have to kill him." Hotaru mumbled as she entered Hajime's cell.

"Yes, I did." Hajime replied. He moved silently to his wash basin and cleaned his bloody hands. Drying them, Hajime knelt down to the girl's level. "I had to make an example of him. To show the others that hurting you - taking advantage of your weakness - will not be tolerated."

"I'm not weak."

"But you are. You are small and weak. The weak do not survive here. Only the strong remain." Hajime gently swiped the girl's cheek with his hand.

"If you would take this collar off, I could fight back." She complained, pulling at the uncomfortable metal at her neck.

"I'm afraid asking for that is too much. Someday, it will come off. Until then, you'll have to endure."

"But, I can't fight if I can't mold chakra."

"It's staying on, Hotaru." Hajime scolded the girl for her insolence. After a moment of awkward silence, Hajime broke. "I have something for you." He said with a smirk. The large man pulled a package from a secret compartment in the wall. "Stole them when I was in Yoshiro's office earlier."

Hotaru opened the package to find three sesame rolls. Her eyes widened with delight at the sight of the sweets. She took a bite out of one and savored the sweet red bean paste at its center. Hajime smiled, swiping his fingers across her cheek.


	18. Chapter 18

Tsunade and the Konoha 11 stood within the Intel Division watching Hotaru's memories play out before them. Ino stopped for a short break. The break was more for Hotaru's benefit than anything else. Having someone inside your head, peering through your memories could be a violating experience.

"I can't believe Hajime just killed someone like that…" Tenten said horrified by the memory of the large man beating the life out of another person.

"He was protecting Hotaru." Choji countered.

"He murdered someone, Choji. We can't just excuse behavior like that. There's no justice in what he did." Sakura replied.

"In their world," Shikamaru interjected, "that was justice. Our rules don't apply to them. Society, civility; those are just concepts down there. In that world, only one thing makes the law, and that is life. The only rule they have is that you are not, in anyway, to hurt your fellow fighters outside of the arena. You can train against one another, but if you purposefully hurt them in some way, you have broken their most sacred law. And you must pay for it with your life. A transgression like that is not tolerated."

"I'm going to continue now." Ino said, placing her slender hand on Hotaru's head.

* * *

***6 years previous***

Hotaru stood outside her small cell. She could hear the muffled voices of Hajime and Yoshiro. They were yelling at one another. When Yoshiro entered their room, Hajime made her leave, but the conversation soon turned to a screaming match.

"If you throw her into the arena now, she'll be nothing more than cannon fodder. She's not ready to fight someone of his caliber!" Hajime roared.

"Then you shouldn't have beaten a man to death, Hajime. Now that Riku is dead, I have an opening for this week's fight that needs to be filled. The girl will take his place. She fights in four days."

"I killed him, I should be the one to be punished."

"This is your punishment." Yoshiro ended the argument and left the cell. He looked down at the young girl and smirked. He roughly took hold of the collar at her neck, and pulled the small girl to his face. "Hope you're worth the investment."

Hotaru slowly peered into the cell. Hajime was leaning against the wall, face in his hands. He let out a frustrated groan. "Hotaru!" He called once he pushed himself from the wall.

"Yes, sir?" She asked, jumping into the open doorway. He looked the small girl up and down before letting out a disappointed sigh. Four days was not a lot of time.

"Come on. We've got work to do." Hajime gently swiped his hand across her cheek.

The pair walked to Tendo's office. The medic looked from Hotaru to Hajime and nodded. Hotaru's master grabbed her under her arms, and held her firmly against his body. "What are you doing?" She yelled and tried to fight against the man. It was futile to try to hurt him, but she was not going to relent until he let go of her.

"Hotaru," Tendo cooed, placing a gentle hand on her forehead, "It's okay. We're just taking the collar off. The surge you will feel with your chakra system free will be disorientating, so Hajime is holding on to you." Hotaru stopped fighting.

"You could have told me…" Tendo's hands nimbly unlatched the collar and pulled the metal away from her skin. Instantly, a pulse of new chakra ran through her. It made her feel lightheaded and disoriented. The girl's head lolled against Hajime's chest as she momentarily blacked out from the release.

* * *

Hajime was right. Four days was not a long time at all. Hotaru stood trembling in front of the arena gates. She had no plan of attack for this fight. The only weapons she possessed were a quarter staff and the kunai in her pack.

"Listen, Hotaru. The man you are fighting is a basic brawler. Close range combatant, doesn't normally use weapons, and has no ninja skills whatsoever. Keep your distance as best you can, but if you have to fight hand to hand, use the taijutsu I taught you and the staff. You can be pretty fast when you need to be, so use that to your advantage. Keep him chasing after you. Wear him down and once he can't fight anymore, throw a kunai. Got it?" Hajime asked. Hotaru nodded her head with false confidence. She barely had enough stamina for training. How was she supposed to wear someone else out?

"Hajime?" she asked weakly. Her voice trembled so much that she almost burst into tears. "If I die, what will happen to my body?"

"You're not going to die." Hajime replied.

"But -"

"You are not going to die." Looking the girl over, he took his hair out of its pony tail. "You have too much hair. Someone gets a hold of that, it could be over for you." He said as he gathered Hotaru's hair, wrapping it in a bun. "You're going to be okay. I'll be watching."

The arena gate opened to reveal a large, desolate stage. There were no walls or defenses. Just sand on the ground to absorb spilled blood. The arena was surrounded by a cage, making an escape impossible. There was only one exit on either end of the arena, one was the gate Hotaru was standing inside. Hajime gently pushed the girl forward. Hotaru expected a roar of spectators to bellow across the stadium, but it was silent. Searching for people, Hotaru scanned arena. Where seating should have been, there were a multitude of personal boxes. All of them were filled with people, but Hotaru could not see them. She felt alone; abandoned and on the brink of tears. She turned around to watch the gate close with Hajime standing behind them. He gently smiled at the frightened girl. The doors shut and locked, leaving her isolated.

_'It's okay, Hotaru.'_ The girl thought to herself. _'This is just a basic combat situation. You can do this. Countless ninjas face life and death battles everyday. This is no different. You are a Konoha kunoichi, you got this!'_

Her opponent entered the ring. He was almost as big as Hajime, but twice as terrifying. Battle scars danced grotesquely across his large body and he was missing an eye, three fingers, and a chunk of his left cheek. As soon as he saw the scared girl, the man laughed.

"This is who they sent to be Riku's replacement?" He jovially asked. "This terrified, little girl! This isn't even fair. She'll be dead in a minute! I've got 20 kills to my name; I was expecting a challenge."

"Don't underestimate me." Hotaru yelled out to the man. "I am small, but I am mighty!" Hotaru was surprised by her newfound confidence. She didn't know where the hell it came from, but she was glad it had shown up. In an attempt to be intimidating, Hotaru raised her quarter staff to point at the man. Her challenge had been issued. The battle had begun.

"Big words for a little girl. Show me what you've got." He made a dash for the girl. Hotaru vaulted over his body. She landed on the top of the cage, and hung upside down. She waited for her opponent to find her. He looked around the arena trying to zero in on his target. Gracefully, she jumped down, landing behind the man. With one swipe of her quarter staff, she knocked the man's legs from under him. He hit the ground hard. While still dazed from the sudden fall, Hotaru rammed the man's head with her quarter staff. She landed a blow on his right temple. She had hoped to incapacitate him for a little while, but the girl barely managed to break skin. Hotaru dashed away before he could get hold of his senses or of her.

"Little bitch!" He mumbled and came at the girl again. They played a game of cat and mouse. Him chasing, her dodging until she had confused him of her whereabouts, then she would strike him. Hotaru could feel the spectators growing bored with the match. There were too many lulls in the action for them of them to keep focus. If they did not have hard money riding on the match, many would have left already.

One of the gates opened ominously. A katana was thrown into the arena. It landed with a soft thud at her opponent's feet. The man gladly picked the weapon up. Hotaru instantly felt the people watching her grow with anticipation; the match was finally about to get good. The man cautiously stalked toward Hotaru, katana at the ready. She prepared herself to fight one on one with the man.

His attacks were strong. Much more powerful than Hotaru had imagined. Hajime had been wrong, this was more than a common brawler. He was a swordsman and Hotaru could not keep up with him. He had easily sliced her quarter staff in two and she now stood defenseless. She had the kunai knives in her pack, but she was terrible at throwing knives, especially when under pressure. All she could do was flee. She jumped away from him, landing on the cage's ceiling. But this time, a surge of electricity ran through the metal. The restricted lighting flew toward her, but she was able to disengage from the metal before being electrocuted.

As soon as she landed, the man swung his katana and sliced into the girl. The sword drew a sharp line across there right cheek, terminating its attack by severing her earlobe.

Hotaru screamed in pain and dropped to her knees. She clutched her cheek in her hands, pulling them away to look at the blood. Hotaru couldn't move. The sight of her blood froze the girl's body. She shivered at the sight of the dark red that oozed from her. A sense of insurmountable terror mixed with nausea when she saw her hands dyed red. Her opponent's shadow fell over the immobile girl.

"It is true that you are small," He said as he raised the weapon above his head, "but there is nothing mighty about you. You are a weak, cowardly, runt."

His words made the girl snap. Yes, she was weak, but in no way was the girl a coward. And she sure as hell was not going to let this man call her a runt. Using her family's jutsu, Hotaru converted the few calories she had stored to give her an extra chakra boost. Using this new energy, Hotaru unexpectedly lunged at the man, knocking him to the ground. The small girl sat on his chest, beating the man's face with her tiny fists. She concentrated a large amount of the new chakra on her feet and firmly planted them to the ground. Despite his pitiful attempts, he could not push the small girl off of him.

"I. AM. NOT. A. RUNT!" She yelled between punches. She continued to hit the man as hard as she could until his face was no longer recognizable. She gathered a large amount of chakra in her hand, enough to engulf her fists in blue flames, and continued pummeling him. With one final strike, the man's head fell limp against the ground. Hotaru stood, exhausted from beating the man and walked towards her gate.

It did not open. She pulled on it. Shook it, willing the thing to open. "I've won. Let me out." She yelled. The girl continued to shake the gate, angry for being forced to stay in the arena. She turned around to look at the other gate. Maybe she tried to leave by the wrong exit. But her eyes fixated on her downed opponent. Very gently, almost unnoticeable, his chest rose and fell with his breathing. Her opponent was still alive.

"No." She called out, turning back to her gate. "He's down. I've won… I've won." She pounded her fists against he solid doors, repeating her claims to victory. But no matter how strong her protests, the gate would not budge.

With trepidation, she pulled the kunai from her pack an walked toward the man. She tried to not cry, but rogue tears betrayed her. He was unconscious and bleeding profusely from the blows Hotaru had dealt. She raised the knife above her head. "I'm sorry." She whispered. Her hands trembled and almost dropped the dagger before plunging the kunai into the man's chest.

As soon as the knife was stuck in the man's heart, the gates opened. The small girl fell to the sandy ground, sobbing uncontrollably. She let out heart wrenching wails, begging the man to forgive her. A large shadow overtook the crying girl. Hajime's arms picked Hotaru up effortlessly and carried her from the arena. His loose hair spilled over the girl like a black veil. Hotaru continued to cry as she was carried to their subterranean home.

Inside her quarters, he tried to place Hotaru on her futon, but she refused to let go of him. The girl clung to him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. If he didn't know better, Hajime would have thought the girl was trying to strangle him. She buried her face into his shoulder trying to quiet her cries. The large man sat down on the futon and held the girl tightly to his chest. He awkwardly rubbed his hand along her back. He had never dealt with a crying child before and did not know what to do.

Hajime said nothing as the girl sobbed into him. There was nothing that could be said. He understood what the child was going through. Hajime knew that nothing could alleviate the guilt of being forced to commit murder. Other prisoners would peek their heads into the open doorway to see the wailing child. None of them sspoke, they knew her pain all too well.

Hotaru cried until she passed out in Hajime's arms. Even in her sleep, Hotaru clung steadfastly to him. After an hour or so, Tendo walked into the room. He wanted to see to the cut on Hotaru's cheek, but Hajime shooed him away.

"Take care of it when she wakes up." Hajime quietly spoke, afraid to wake the sleeping girl. "For now, let her sleep and dream of a better life."


	19. Chapter 19

*** 4 and 1/2 years previous ***

The fourteen year old sat high on her perch, peering down into the arena. No lights were on, capturing Hotaru and her four opponents in pitch blackness. She had already made it to her 77th opponent. She had lost track of the actual number of fights in which she had partaken - more often than not, Hotaru faced off against more than one opponent. All that mattered to her were the lives lost at her hands. With each opponent she defeated, the next became even more difficult to take down. When she had realized this, Hotaru prayed for a day when someone would come along smart and strong enough to defeat her.

This arena was set up like a labyrinth. Stone walls twisted and turned from one side of the arena to another. During the fight, Hotaru was up against four men, all of them twice her size or age. She had had a minor growth spurt - if you could count growing nearly to be 5'9" a minor growth spurt. In the two years she had been bound to the complex, she had grown nearly a foot, and hadn't stopped, but she was still too skinny to be healthy. For some reason, she had discovered that she did not need to produce medicinal chakra nearly as often as she had previously. This allowed her the opportunity to actually control her family jutsu the way it was intended to be used. Every couple of months, however, she would come down with a fever or start feeling ill again. She would dose herself for as long as she needed, then stop the treatments.

As soon as she had been unleashed on the arena, Hotaru scaled the walls to wait. Once all five combatants had entered the ring, the lights were extinguished. She was at an advantage in that she did not need to see to know where the four other men were. She could feel their presence all around her. One was to her north, scrambling around in circles, trying to hide from the others. This was his first fight; the poor, unfortunate soul. The second was to her east, he had found a nice niche and was not going to give it up. The third was to her west, completely and utterly disoriented in the maze. He had lost his only weapon and was panicking trying to retrace his steps. The fourth was directly below her. With the stealth of a prowling wolf, Hotaru dropped from her perch. She landed silently, before stalking her target.

"Forgive me." She whispered, flipping her kunai in hand. Before he could respond, she ran her knife through the back of the man's neck. He dropped to the ground as she left him to bleed out on the sandy floor. Hotaru resumed her position on the high wall, deciding the man to the west was the easiest target. He was too distracted looking for his weapon to notice the teenager sneak up on him. From there, she went north and put the frightened newcomer out of his misery. The man in the east would be the hardest to take out.

He was in an easily defendable spot. He had holed himself up in a dead-end, keeping his back to the wall. The man wasn't distracted or scared, meaning his guard was doubly alert. Hotaru figure the easiest way to catch him would be from where he least expected it. From her perch, Hotaru sewed her hand seals, preparing the newest addition to her ninjutsu.

"Doton: Earth Flow Spear." She whispered inaudibly. A large rock spear flew out of the labyrinth wall behind her opponent. In one quick move, the man was impaled on the spike. She had expected him to die right away, but because the lights did not come on, she knew she had more work still yet to do. She silently threw herself from the high wall and landed in front of the spike. Her opponent's head lolled against his chest as he hung from the spear.

"I'm sorry." She sighed, grabbing a fistful of the man's hair and pulled his face up. Her knife effortlessly slid across his neck. The arena lights came back on. Hotaru released the jutsu and the rock spear retreated into the wall from whence it came.

* * *

***3 years previous ***

Every fighter had been called into one of the training dojos. There were well over 100 people crowding into the small space. Majority of the fighters Hotaru had never seen before. The girl was isolated from everyone. At first it was for her own protection, she had been too small and weak to defend herself from them. But as the girl grew and continued to be undefeated, the others began avoiding her. They saw her as tough, ruthless, and utterly bloodthirsty. She knew they feared her; the teenager was the devil of their underworld. She was the harbinger of death and no one cared to become involved with the terror of their horrid world.

She and Hajime were the only ones out of all of them to live in their own quarters, thus furthering the girl's isolation. All other fighters slept in communal barracks. Because she had separate quarters from everyone else, she earned the title of 'Boss' Whore'; why else would she be given her own room if not to fuck the master? Unbeknownst to them, Yoshiro had only tried to force himself upon her once. She fought back bravely, but the seal that prevented Hotaru from harming Yoshiro stopped her from inflicting any damage. It dampened her ability to defend herself and she was desperate to get the odious man off of her, when Hajime walked into the room. He had heard her muffled struggle and came to check on her. When he found Yoshiro forcing himself on his student, Hajime nearly killed the man. Instead, he showed more restraint than the last time someone had hurt Hotaru. Hajime simply grabbed the nearest weapon and castrated Yoshiro for his crime against the girl. News of the Boss' impairment did not leave the girl's quarters. Tendo was able to stop the bleeding and heal him as best he could, but the medic secretly applauded Hajime for his justice. To the outsiders, Hotaru was the boss' slut; the favorite among the riffraff.

Every other fighter was there to pay off their debt to Boss. The man was the kingpin of the largest gambling syndicate and loan sharking business in three different countries. Those who lost big and could not pay up or could not pay off their debts were given two options: fight off their debt, or bring him a fighter that could. It saddened the girl to see how many children and teenagers had been given to Boss in lieu of money.

Most of the kids didn't start fighting until they were at least 14 years old, which actually gave them an edge in the arena. Unlike the adults who were immediately forced into combat, the children received training from an older, experienced fighter. All of the combatants wanted this position because it would mean that they were allowed to retire - so long as their student survived. Once a child died, the teacher was sent back in to the ring. Hajime had been assigned to Hotaru because both were former shinobi. Hajime had been a ninja of Kirigakure before coming into Yoshiro's den when he was 14.

Yoshiro stood in front of the crowd. No one knew why they had been summoned and stood silently, waiting for him to explain. The small man had a sickening smile on his. His eyes lazily gazed over the people who feared him. All but Hotaru and Hajime looked to the floor.

"I like to think I run a fair den," Yoshiro voiced with such arrogance that Hotaru laughed aloud. Every eye shot to the teen; horrified that she would show such insolence to the man who controlled their fates. Yoshiro continued to speak, "I give you what you need to survive. You have food, shelter, comrades. So, I cannot understand why one of you would betray me so blatantly. Someone was able to sneak out of our home to try to send a message that you are kept here and forced to commit terrible acts. Fortunately, we were able to stop this messenger before he could come into contact with anyone on the outside and spread his lies. The problem that faces all of you now is that he had an accomplice. Someone here stayed behind to hide the escape.

"I am a kind man. I am an understanding man. If you step forward now and take responsibility for your actions, I promise your life will be spared. I do not wish to loose two of my valued men in one day." He spoke as if he were a preacher lecturing on redemption. "Come forward." He pleaded kindly. The congregation of fighters shifted about nervously. No one had swallowed the lie Yoshiro had fed them. But if no one came forward, Hotaru knew they would be met with drastic actions.

About one yard to her left, Hotaru sensed a change in someone's disposition. This person went from a constant nervousness to absolute terror. Hotaru turned to see one of the children, a girl no older than Hotaru had been when she had been brought into the complex. The girl was shaking, trying to hold back her tears. She was hidden from Yoshiro's sight by a rather large man. But, Hotaru could see this girl was the guilty party. She had seen the child around and actually knew who her trainer was. The girl's sensei was no where near her, telling Hotaru that he had been that man that escaped. The frightened girl sniveled, wiping her hand under her nose, before starting to raise it.

"It was me." Hotaru stated calmly. She stared into Yoshiro's eyes, daring him to harm her. "I covered for Goro while he escaped." Hotaru felt the girl's gaze fall on her. A mixture of fear, relief, and sorrow emanated from her. Hotaru stood steadfast. She was calm and collected. Hotaru knew Yoshiro would not harm her too terribly. She was his prized possession; a four year veteran who had only been severely wounded once.

Yoshiro beckoned the teen forward. The crowd parted as Hotaru strode to the front of the dojo. As she came to the center of the room, she noticed one of Yoshiro's lackeys was holding an odd chain attached to a collar. Yoshiro greedily took the collar. "I'm so glad I get to use this on you." He whispered as he placed the collar around Hotaru's neck.

As soon as it was snapped into place, an intense fire started radiating in her neck. The pain spread throughout her body, making her organs feel as though they were boiling. She felt her blood become an inferno. Each second that the collar remained on her neck, the searing fire inside her continued to grow. Hotaru collapsed to her knees, screaming into the searing pain. Her hands flew to the collar in an attempt to pry it from her body. When she did, she felt electrical currents pierce her skin. She let out more wails as she writhed on the floor.

Yoshiro took hold of the chain she was attached to and dragged the Akimichi's body across the floor. He stopped in front of one of the Kunai training targets. Hotaru screeched in agony as Yoshiro grabbed her wrists and tied the girl to the post.

"Hajime!" Yoshiro yelled so he could be heard over the girl's screams. The large brute begrudgingly stepped forward. Hotaru silenced her shrieks into whimpers long enough to hear Yoshiro speak to her teacher. "Infuse you chakra into this." Yoshiro's voice oozed with giddy sadism.

Hajime slowly stepped forward. He waited until the girl ceased a wave of anguished howls. "I am so sorry, Hotaru." Hotaru heard a loud crack seconds before a whip connected to her back. The chakra-infused leather sent lightning bolts of pain bursting throughout her body. This was a new agony that hotaru wished to never know. Pops of electricity quickly exploded along the gash left on her back. She was hit with the whip twice more before Yoshiro came up to the teenager. He removed the collar. Instant relief flooded her body as the inferno in her veins died away. The pain from the lashes on her back remained as thick blood glided down her spine.

"I know it wasn't you." He lovingly pushed Hotaru's hair behind her ear. She whimpered, unable to utter anything. Yoshiro's greedy fingers danced along her skin. "But, this was still fun to watch."

Hotaru's vision began to darken. As she was loosing consciousness, Hotaru took the upper-hand and spat in Yoshiro's face. The girl blacked out. She had been in pain, but at least one innocent life was safe for the time being.

* * *

*** 2 years previous ***

Hotaru had been pinned. The man she had been fighting was fast, strong, but amazingly stupid. She was trying to think of a way out of the situation, keeping a confident smirk on her lips. She had gotten pretty good at feigning emotion.

She didn't have long to think. A solid fist connected with her jaw. The 6'4" 17 year old was running out of options. The opponent had her pinned to the ground, and was kneeling into her hands, keeping her from preforming seals. Despite the muscle mass she had slowly been gaining, Hotaru simply did not have enough strength to push him off of her.

Desperately, she stretched her arm to grab the bō that was just out of reach. Her middle finger gently caressed the wooden shaft, accidentally pushing it further from her. The man atop her laughed as he watched the teenager struggle for her weapon. Her opponent grabbed a short wakizashi sword sheathed on his back. He had to let up on her arms to reach the blade, which was his fatal error. Hotaru took advantage of the moment and released herself from his grip; seizing the man's genitals in her hand. She squeezed as hard as her muscles allowed, and flipped the man over on his back. Straddling his burly chest, she threw the short-sword out of his hand.

"Doton: Earth Spear." The color of Hotaru's skin on her hands and arms darkened, almost turning pitch black. While the dark color spread across her skin, Hotaru's arms became as hard as diamonds. She used the one Akimichi jutsu she had ever learned, Calorie Control Jutsu, to give herself a small boost of chakra. The girl concentrated all of her new chakra in her hardened hands. The chakra grew to blue flames before she raised her fists. Hotaru slammed her enhanced arms into the man's barreled chest. Hotaru cracked all of the man's ribs, and completely pummeled the man's lungs. He gasped for breath helplessly as Hotaru raised her arms again. This time, she aimed more accurately before punching him. Black diamond fists slammed into his broken chest, pulverizing his heart.

The blood of 383 people now stained her hands.


	20. Chapter 20

Everyone stood silently as pieces of Hotaru's life played out in front of them. Ino stopped the projection.

"There is a lag from what I see and the projection." Ino spoke. "The next couple of years are - they're going to get much worse." She said quietly to the group. "How do you want me to proceed, Lady Tsunade?"

"How much worse?" Choji asked.

"How can it get worse? She was whipped with chakra… She just pulverized a man's heart!" Naruto yelled in abject horror.

"Nothing you've seen compares to what comes next. The last two years are a very, very dark time for her. She trains, fights, and kills. She starts to take pleasure in the killings… She becomes ruthless and bloodthirsty, and she hates herself. There is nothing but silence and self-hatred. Every time she walks out of the arena, she despises her existence more and allows silence to take her. And then something happens that absolutely breaks her and she stops talking altogether. She won't let me see what it is, but from the feelings associated with the memory and the way she is guarding it, I have a guess. I think she watches that medic, Tendo, die and she feels - I dunno, guilty about it. By her next fight, she doesn't talk anymore. Not even to Hajime."

"When does she start talking again?" Tsunade inquired.

"Her 19th birthday."

"Show us."

* * *

*** 2 months previous ***

"Again." Hajime yelled at the young woman. Looking at her now, compared to the tiny child she had been, Hajime was quite intimidated by her growth. She was only 5 inches shorter than him. Her muscular body was the exact opposite of his, but she was more powerful than anyone could have imagined. Hajime was only 24 years old, but having watched Hotaru grow from that small child to the woman before him made him feel ancient. And he knew despite the fact that he was still considered her master, she could easily defeat him. The girl was a prodigy unlike any he had ever seen. She was fast, resourceful, and cunning beyond belief.

Hotaru stood her ground, performing the Tiger hand seal. "Doton: Earth River Flow." The ground underneath Hajime turned to mud almost instantly. He lost balance, and fell to the ground. Before he could roll from his muddy trap, he heard Hotaru call forth another jutsu. "Doton: Earth Dragon Bullet."

Hajime snapped his gaze toward the woman. Beside her, a dragon's head of mud grew from the ground. Opening its large jaws, the dragon began firing gigantic mud balls at Hajime. The large man rolled out of the way, barely missing the balls of earth.

"Katon: Fire Dragon Bullet." A burst of flames billowed from the young woman's mouth. The fiery stream connected with the earthen bullets. Charred rocks on the verge of becoming lava flew at the large man. Luckily, he was fast and able to call forth his own elemental release.

"Suiton: Exploding Water Shock Wave." Hajime countered, sending colossal waves toward Hotaru. She attempted to jump out of the way of the aqua blast, but wasn't fast enough. The wave caught her and violently sent her flying against the far wall.

Hajime forced the water to recede and walked over the the young woman's crumpled body. He held out his hand to help her up when her body disappeared in a puff of smoke. Hajime jumped backwards, running straight into the girl's solid body. A small dagger came to his throat. He threw his hands in defeat. She let go and sat down against the wall.

"You're getting pretty good at combining your releases." She silently looked at the man. There was no emotion in her gaze. And as usual, she said nothing. He didn't want to count her calling out her ninjutsu as talking, but after two years of complete silence, Hajime would take what he could get. "I think we should start expanding your ninjutsu. Maybe see if we can force the lava release." He tiredly huffed, sliding down the wall next to Hotaru.

"I thought lava release was a kekkei genkai?" The first sentence she had spoken in two years, and it was about a kekkei genkai.

'Damn." Hajime thought. 'I would have liked to her talk about something a little less… impersonal.'

"Technically it is. But, I believe that so long as you have the nature types to create it, and can manage the chakra control and manipulation, you could, in theory, do it. I'm not saying it will actually work, but we could try."

"Except the training to force them together would require going outside. Unless, you want to burn the complex down."

"If the complex doesn't exist, maybe the seal will break…" Hajime sighed. It was a fruitless dream to someday walk outside. To feel the sun on skin, or a fresh breeze in their lungs.

The two sat along the dojo wall in silence for nearly an hour. Finally Hajime rose from where he sat. "Stay here." He commanded. "I have something for you." The large man left the dojo and was gone for several minutes. Hotaru was starting to think he wasn't coming back when the door slid open. Hajime entered holding a long bō in his hand. He thrust his hand out to give the weapon to the girl.

"Here… Consider it a birthday present." He said as Hotaru took the long staff. It was a six foot long rokushakubō that had a circumference of two inches in the middle, but was marginally thicker on one end. The bō had a slightly weighted feel. The added weight made it vastly different from the bō she had been used to working with. She spun it around a few times, trying to adjust to the feel of the weapon. As if in a trance, she began practicing bōjutsu in the center of the dojo.

Hajime watched on as the young woman silently worked her way across the dojo floor, spinning and thrusting her bō. She quickly learned to compensate for the weight difference, making the bō into an extension of her own body. Watching her work with her favorite weapon in hand was like watching an intricate and precise dance. She moved gracefully and purposefully. Every twist and jab calculated to reach optimum accuracy. When she finally had returned to the man, she had a smirk on her face that Hajime could have almost called a smile.

"Want to know why the end is weighted?" He asked, politely taking the staff from her. Hotaru watched as he lovingly held the weapon. He spun the bō a few times, then stopped. Somehow when he did, sharped, serrated blades rushed out of the end of the bō. Her eyes widened in shock at the lethal development. The blades slowly retracted into their home inside the staff.

She looked to him in bewilderment.

"They are chakra blades. Infuse the staff with even the slighted amount of chakra, and the blades will appear." Again, the sharp blades sprang to life from inside the bō. "However, I had one adjustment made to them." Hajime swung the staff down, stopping before it could connect with the girl's neck. Hotaru glared and saw the blades immediately disappear. As they did, the wooden staff flew away from the girl's neck, back toward Hajime stopping just short of his nose. If he had not been as strong as he was to stop it, the bō would have smacked him in the face. "The blades are made to react to your chakra. They are intelligent, and cannot attack the chakra they were made to serve. In other words, this weapon can never be used against you."

She took back her new weapon, and sent a burst of chakra through the wood. The nasty looking blades sprang out. Her eyes grew in excitement, bloodlust boiling just under her skin. She hated the part of her that couldn't wait to use it.

* * *

Hotaru sat on her bed trying to massage her tired muscles. Two large hands removed her's from her shoulders and began rubbing methodically. Her kimono top hung loosely around her forearms, with only her bra underneath. She was used to sometimes being in a state of undress around Hajime, so she felt no embarrassment at being scantily clad. But when he touched her bare skin, a small tingling began to grow around her naval.

"Let me." Hajime said quietly. He pushed his thumb down under her right shoulder blade causing her to gasp. "Too hard?" He asked. She could feel his warm breath tickle her ear as she nodded. His fingers eased up a little, but kept unwinding the knots she had gathered throughout the day. Hotaru sighed in relief as the tension eased. The warm touch of his hands unwound the knots in her shoulders, but as the man progressed on her back, a small knot began to form in her stomach. She liked the feel of his rough, calloused hands roaming her body through the cotton top.

"Thank you." She said politely, but his hands did not leave. They slowly worked down her back, removing her cotton top. His rough hands felt divine. His hands pushed in all of the right places, releasing her weary body into a relaxed state. Hotaru's muscles tensed when the hands stopped just north of her buttocks.

"Trust me." He said calmly, before pushing her stomach to the ground. His large body rose to hover over her's, his hands still dangerously close to her ass. "Relax. It will hurt more if you tense up… Take a deep breath." She did as she was told. "Let it out." As she exhaled, Hajime pushed down on her spinal column. She heard a multitude of pops and cracks. His hands slid up her back. "In… Out." Again, the pressure of his hands released the tension in her back. He repeated this action three more times before finally cracking her spine completely. The young woman sat upright. He gently guided her kimono top back up her body, letting it rest so that she appeared clothed. "How does it feel?" He asked.

She did not reply, but twisted her torso with new found ease. Without thinking, Hajime lightly swiped his hand across her cheek; a gestured he had not permitted himself to do in years. Not since the girl stopped talking had he even thought about touching her scarred cheek. Her silence had broken the strange bond the two had created. His fingers stopped themselves mid-swipe. He desperately wished he hadn't touched the girl. Hajime tried to pull away, but Hotaru's hand caught his. Instead of throwing his hand away from her, Hotaru pressed her cheek into the calloused palm of his hand. She closed her eyes as if savoring his touch.

"Stay with me tonight?" She lightly whispered. Despite her silence, Hotaru slept with Hajime most nights. The night terrors that plagued her sleep drove her into his quarters on a regular basis. It was an unspoken rule that if she entered his room, he was to ask nothing and hold her until the terrors stopped and she could finally sleep. But to be asked to stay with her was an entirely new realm.

"I can't, Hotaru."

"Hajime…" Her voice was half sigh, half moan. The sound of her calling out his name sent an electrical pulse through his body. She moved her head in his hand to kissed his blessed palm.

"Hotaru, please -" He tried to pull his hand from the girl, but she only growled with displeasure. Big, cadmium eyes stared up at him, begging him to let her have her way. He fought the urge to give in to the girl, but lost his will when she de-robed her torso. A lean yet feminine body sat before him. Her black bra was the only clothing that kept her breasts from greeting him.

Hajime slowly sat in front of her. Throwing all doubts to the wind, the large man grabbed the woman's hips, and roughly pulled her into his lap, straddling his hips. Their mouths collided. Hajime's lips were soft and supple made her flesh melt. He was a wall of heat and smelled of salt. Hotaru smirked against his skin. Hajime licked her lower lip, but she did not allow him entrance. She wanted to savor his lips before moving to the next piece of him. Unhappy with her refusal, Hajime bit her. But still she did not open her mouth. He pulled away from her, scowling.

"Give me what I want." He growled playfully before biting her lip again.

"It's my birthday. I'll do as I please." She said maniacally. His hands messaged her waist before digging his nails into her soft flesh causing her to gasp. Hajime pounced on the opportunity, and forced his way into her mouth. His thick tongue felt divine as it explored her. Hotaru moaned into the kiss when Hajime found an especially sensitive place on the roof of her mouth.

Hajime's hands gently travelled up her torso. When they found her ticklish spot just under her ribcage, Hotaru giggled and pulled out of the kiss. His fingers gently rested on the curse seal on her ribs. The large man smiled devilishly knowing where her weakness lay.

"No." She scolded him before he could put his plan into play. He shrugged, and began kissing her again. His hands continued north as his lips moved south. He kissed and sucked along Hotaru's jaw and neck, trying to find that special spot that would make her moan. Teeth gently nipped at her skin, causing the young woman to jump. When his hands finally found his way to her breasts, Hotaru's back instantly arched pushing the flesh into his rough palms.

_*******_

_**In the periphery of Ino's conscious she could hear voices.**_

_**"Is this really necessary?" Choji's gravelly voice asked. This was his precious little Hotaru after all.**_

_**"Shut up, Choji! It's starting to get good!" Naruto's voice echoed before there was a loud smack "Sakura-chan! I was kidding."**_

_**"PIG!" Sakura yelled.**_

_**"I think it's kind of romantic." Tenten said with a sigh. Ino could sense the sappy girl pressing her palms to her heart.**_

_**"She's got a great rack" Kiba stated bluntly. Drool practically dripped from his words. "Doesn't she though, Shikamaru?"**_

_**"Shut up. Is there anyway to fast forward? This is too much of an intrusion into Hotaru's privacy." Shikamaru suggested. Ino internally smirked. She knew her teammate, and despite his lazy drawl, she could hear the twinge of jealousy in his voice.**_

_**"I agree." Tsunade replied. "Ino skip ahead." The Yamanaka girl nodded and jumped forward to the next memory."**_

_*******_

Hotaru lay wrapped in Hajime's giant arms. She loved the feel of his warm, weathered skin. It was dry and uncared for, but surprisingly soft. After years of worrying about if he would be alive tomorrow, Hajime decided some of the more luxurious comforts of the world could fall by the wayside. Hajime's skin was him: dry, scared, cracked, and broken, but still comforting with its kind warmth. For the first time in years, Hotaru felt peace. She would not call her feelings happiness because she knew death was waiting for the sun to rise.

"Happy birthday to me." She whispered with a cocky grin. Despite the well-worn rasp of her tired voice, it lithely danced into Hajime's ear. He smirked and buried his face into her neck. His lips graced her skin, melting her flesh and causing her to sigh contentedly.

"I never pictured you as a biter." He said after a moment. His hand reached to his shoulder where dried blood had pooled. She had bit down hard as her orgasms took her, trying to muffle her ecstasy. She didn't mind being loud for Hajime, but she did not want the entire complex to know.

"Can you forgive me?" She asked, as her fingers played with his hair.

"For what?"

"For everything. For being silent. For not letting you in. For this." She pressed lightly on the swollen bite mark.

"I will always forgive you." He answered, taking her hand in his. As if examining a delicate flower, Hajime gracefully rolled her fingers between his. She had such beautifully long fingers. It was a shame that each was rough and calloused from years of combat. He kissed the pads of her fingertips before returning her hand to his shoulder. With her free hand, Hotaru had been tracing the outline of the black curse seal that marred his chest. It was the same mark that lived on the back of her neck - a curse that bound the two to the complex.

"Hajime?"

"Yes?"

"Tell me about your family…"

"I never had one." He said bluntly. "I grew up in Kirigakure on my own. Joined the academy when I was 7, became a genin by time I was 10, chuunin when I was 14. My captain sold me and my teammate to Boss shortly after that to pay off a massive debt. I tried to run away a lot. Practically everyday, so they sealed me. I attempted suicide once, but Yoshiro was able to stop me, they did that to me too." Hajime said as he rubbed the black mark on Hotaru's left side; the seal that prevented her from killing herself or Yoshiro. "But, they took that seal off when you were put under my care. Yoshiro figured I wouldn't kill myself if I had something worth protecting… I guess he was right for once."

"I have the blood of two powerful clans." Hotaru offered after a silent pause. "The Akimichi and the Inuzuka. My father was the younger brother of the Akimichi head, and my mother was the younger sister of the Inuzuka clan's Alpha. After my mom died, the Akimichi clan wiped her memory from the clan history. They even gave her dog back - the Inuzuka's raise ninken. From what my dad told me, he had never wanted me growing up not knowing who my mom was, but the elders had decided for him - our own head, my uncle, didn't even get a say in it. Of course, majority of the elders didn't think I would survive. They figured that because my mother, a strong Inuzuka woman who was more resilient than the Alpha couldn't handle bringing me into the world, my body would never be able to live in it. After she died, her dog, Shiromaru, wanted to stay with me. Apparently, the dog had said that because I was Ashi's pup, his loyalty belonged to me. He even bit a chunk out of one of the elders' legs when he returned Shiromaru to the Inuzukas."

"Would you have wanted him?"

Hotaru nodded. "He was my mother's best friend. He would have been a memento of her and a family I never was never given the chance to be a part of. They decided for me where I belonged. My friend Kiba, he was my cousin. That's why I loved being friends with him and his ninken, Akamaru. They were my connection - even if it was a small one - to a family I wish I could have known."

"I would say you are lucky to have had a family. But being here…"

"Knowing my family is out there when I can never leave just makes it worse." Hotaru finished the man's sentence. The two lay together wrapped in each other's arms in silence. Hajime was glad the girl was finally talking again. It had been a long two years.


	21. Chapter 21

Kiba stared up at the projection. He did not believe what he had heard. Akamaru whined, nudging Kiba's thigh with his nose.

"Shiromaru…" Kiba whispered, looking down at his loyal companion. Everyone had turned their attention to the Inuzuka male when they had heard Hotaru's confession.

"Did you know, Kiba?" Hinata asked.

"No. No one ever said anything." He replied. Outrage began to grow inside him. "She was one of our own, dammit! How could we just forget one of our own like that!?"

"You weren't given the choice." Choji answered. "She bore the Akimichi name, so she would be raised as an Akimichi."

"That's idiotic. She's every bit Inuzuka as she is Akimichi! We should have been allowed to -" Kiba yelled, but was cut off.

"Choji has a point." Shikamaru argued.

"Of course you would take his side!" The Inuzuka snapped.

"I'm not taking anyone's side, Kiba. If her mother had survived and it was her father who died, Hotaru would have been raised in the Inuzuka clan, and you know it."

"She could have at least been allowed to keep the dog…" Sakura added.

"If the Akimichi kept Shiromaru, Akamaru wouldn't have been born." Kiba said, patting his best friend on the head. "Shiromaru was his sire." The large dog barked in agreement.

"Then something good did come out of it." Hinata said, trying to comfort her friend.

Their attention was suddenly snapped back to Ino and her projections as the blonde let out a solitary gasp.

"What is it?"

"Oh no…" Ino mumbled to herself.

* * *

***4 weeks, 4 days previous ***

"Hotaru!" One of the other fighters called out to the tall woman. She was in her quarters, slowly preparing for her battle. Turning to the man, she grunted in reply. Hotaru grabbed her bō, and made her way to the arena gates.

"Where is Hajime?" She asked, looking around her for her lover.

"Hell if I know." The man said, pushing the gates apart. The Akimichi girl pulled her knee length hair into a bun on top of her head.

Hotaru stepped out into the harsh light of the caged arena. Like her very first fight, there were no obstacles that she or her opponent could hide behind. She kicked up some sand walking into the arena full of grace and arrogance. This would be her 497th opponent.

Yoshiro had told her that gamblers came from distant countries just to watch the woman fight. There weren't many ninjas in their underground world, and people paid good money to see the master combatants. Amazing battles could always be expected from captured nin.

Her owner's words rang through her head as she thought of that fateful night seven years ago. 'Main Event.' Hotaru had no idea what those words meant back then. But now, she was Yoshiro's meal ticket. He made more money off one of her fights than he could in three years of Hajime's before he retired.

When she stepped into the arena, she could feel eyes from the private boxes boring into her. Hoisting her bō over her head, she roared at the gamblers. She sent a burst of chakra through her making the devilish blades jump out of the wooden weapon. She hated showboating, but she gave the investors what they wanted. And they wanted a cruel, blood thirsty warrior intent on taking as many lives as she could.

She was too caught up in her own showmanship to notice that her opponent had entered the arena. Inside their private boxes, Hotaru felt the onlooker's shock as they stared at the young woman's enemy. Many of the onlookers where long time gamblers, and knew that tonight's match was going to be one for the history books, but they could have never imagined this.

Hotaru turned around to see her opponent. The sight terrified her. She dropped her bo, causing the bloodthirsty blades to retreat. Any rush of adrenaline she had felt left her body, causing her to become nauseous. An excessively tall man with hair so black it was blue and fierce obsidian eyes stood before her. He wore a yellow yukata - it matched her eyes - that had fallen open at his chest, revealing the black curse mark that bound him to the complex. Yoshiro had placed it on him ten years earlier.

The man was a legend among the denizens who gambled in Yoshiro's house. Tonight's battle was to determine who was stronger; the master or the student.

"No." Hotaru whimpered. Hajime slowly walked toward the girl. A sad smile crossed his face as Hajime reached out to touch her. He clasped her cheek in his hand and traced the white lightning bolts with his thumb.

"I'm sorry, Hotaru." He whispered to her. "I wish it could have ended differently for us."

"We don't have to do this!" Hotaru urgently beseeched him. "We can fight back. We can get away -"

"You know that we can't. If we could, we would have run away a long time ago."

The two opponents stood together, wishing the arena away. They stared into each other's eyes, hoping that if they stood still long enough, they would both be allowed to leave.

Hajime's fierce eyes softened as a smile played across his face. "I remember the night you got this…" He whispered, pulling his fingers along the scar on Hotaru's right cheek. "I thought I was going to burst through the cage and kill that man. I was so angry and scared and… I just wanted to take you away from here. I should have never brought you here. It's because of me -"

"Don't." She interrupted. "What's done is done."

"Hotaru…" Hajime cooed lovingly. "Forgive me." The man pressed his forehead against hers. The heat he radiated forced Hotaru to close her eyes. She knew what he was prepared to do. Hajime would kill her and end her seven year hell. Hotaru would not accept defeat from anyone other than the large man. She knew that if neither of them killed one another, they both would be taken out. But the thought of killing Hajime hurt her soul too much to move.

Hajime slowly removed his hands from Hotaru's face. She could feel him take a kunai from the pack on her left hip. Tears flooded her closed, yellow eyes, anticipating the pain she was about to feel. Hajime's forehead disconnected from Hotaru. She was ready to die. A sharp point gently came to rest on her chest, above her heart. It stayed itself, lightly pushing through her clothes. Hotaru could feel the knife tremble in Hajime's hand before the pressure of it disappeared from her skin.

"It's okay." Hotaru said. Her eyes were still closed as she reached out to touch him. If she had to, Hotaru would guide the knife he held into her heart. But her hands could not find the man. She opened her eyes just as Hajime stabbed the kunai into his own chest. Hajime slumped to the ground. He hit the sandy floor with a solid thud.

"No!" Hotaru yelled. She fell to her knees beside him. "What have you done? What have you done!?"

In a frenzy, Hotaru, pulled the knife from his chest and began performing what little medical jutsu Tendo had taught her. Hajime's hands grabbed at hers, breaking the chakra flow.

"Stop it!" She spat, throwing her hands out of his. Hotaru tried to perform medical jutsus on him repeatedly, but every time she did he would pull her hands away. With dying curiosity, he examined the girl's hands.

"You were so small…" He said weakly. He brought her fingers to his lips and softly kissed the calloused pads of her fingertips.

"You're just a beast." Hotaru laughed. Finally understanding that he would not let her save him. Hotaru pulled the large man into her lap. She cradled his bloody body in her arms, absently twirling his hair between his fingers.

"Forgive me. "

"I will always forgive you." Hotaru replied. Hajime tried to keep talking, but Hotaru could see that his life was quickly leaving him. Before he left her forever, Hotaru silenced him. She gently placed her lips atop his. Weakly, Hajime kissed her back. A tear fell from Hotaru, landing on the apple of Hajime's cheek. Her fingers snaked their way along his scalp, clutching a mass of black hair. Hotaru pulled away as Hajime breathed out his last piece of life.

Tears rolled from her eyes as she screamed at him. She pulled his head to her chest, and clung to his lifeless body. The only noise to be heard in the arena was the angry cries of a woman who had finally lost everything. Loud, guttural screams echoed from the girl as she pleaded for the man in her arms to come back.

"Please…" She whimpered once she had exhausted her voice. "Please. Please don't leave me!" Hotaru pulled his head away from her body, and clutched his face. "Don't leave me!" She violently shook the man. He only lay limp in her arms.

Pulling him back into her body, she cried, "Don't leave me…"

Hotaru grabbed the knife Hajime had used to kill himself. She didn't care how badly the curse seal on her ribs burned her, she was going to join Hajime. Hotaru managed to raise the knife to her chest before the seal activated.

She didn't feel any pain when the seal came to life. Only blackness. One second she was awake and ready to kill herself. Then next, she was rendered unconscious. Hotaru collapsed on top of Hajime's thick body. Her pale skin stained by his blood.

* * *

Hotaru woke two days later in her cell. She rolled onto her side, expecting the large man and his futon to be next to her, but her hand felt nothing but the cold, stone floor. Eyes fluttering open, Hotaru scanned the room to see all traces of Hajime were gone. He had unofficially moved into her quarters, but none of his few possessions remained. He had never existed.

Tears welled in her eyes as she took in the sight of it all. She had to blink them away to see, but she did not cry. A noise came from the doorway, startling the upset women.

"That was very foolish of you." Yoshiro said. He was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed across his chest, smirking at Hotaru. "What made you think killing yourself would work?"

Ignoring Yoshiro's question, Hotaru looked about her room. She almost believed that if she searched hard enough she would see some remnant of Hajime. Yoshiro walked into the room. He grabbed Hotaru's chin and pulled her face toward his.

The older man was centimeters from her face. His hot breath burned her lips. "I asked a question." He whispered.

"You took me from my team. You took me from my home. You took my freedom and hope. And now you've taken Hajime. I will make you pay for this." Hotaru hissed before spitting on the man. Yoshiro slapped the girl across the face. But, he was much weaker than he looked. Despite hitting the girl as hard as he could, her head barely moved. She pulled out the small kunai from under her futon.

Hotaru stood up, towering over Yoshiro. She took an intimidating step toward the man who claimed to own her. The wolfish side of her had been released. She was stalking her prey now, ready to kill at a moments notice. A crazed smile snaked across her face, baring her teeth. A feral growl escaped from her throat while she moved gracefully towards him. Yoshiro tripped as he backed up and fell to the floor. The tall woman bent over him, taking hold of his collar and pulling him toward her.

"I have nothing left to loose." She snarled and pushed the kunai against Yoshiro's throat. "And I will kill you."

He was in no position to argue with the fierce girl, but Yoshiro was stupid enough to talk back. "You can't. A-as long as the seal is intact -"

Before Yoshiro could finish his sentence, Hotaru jabbed the knife into the side of her stomach, just under her last rib, and pulled the blade around to her back. She cut the seal in two. Yoshiro stared into the cadmium eyes. There was no fear or pain in those yellow orbs. Only a wild huntress preparing to make a kill.

"Guess it's broken now." Hotaru laughed as she pulled the kunai out of her body. The bloody blade raked against Yoshiro's neck. "Any last words?" She hummed, waiting for a moment she had been dreaming of for seven years.

"If you do this, you'll be a heartless murderer. Do you really think Hajime would want that?" Yoshiro tried to reason with the crazed woman. She merely smiled, lips curling away from her teeth. No one had ever noticed that her canines were quite a bit longer than the rest of her teeth.

"You made me into a murderer." Hotaru exclaimed with a righteous growl. She bore the kunai down on the man's neck. A small trickle of blood ran down his throat to his chest. "But don't assume I am heartless. It's because of this heart that I am going to kill you."

"You can't -" Yoshiro began to say just as Hotaru drew her blade across his throat. Blood gushed from the wound, spilling across her hands and cascading onto the stone floor. Hotaru dropped the bleeding man to the ground.

"Not interested." Hotaru uttered, stepping over the man's dying body. She grabbed the bō that Hajime had given her and walked out of her cell for the last time. Some of the other fighters were staring into Hotaru's quarters in complete shock and awe.

The pain from the wound on her side made the girl limp, but she walked proudly through the underground maze. If Tendo had still been alive, he would have tried to stop her and heal her wounds. But he had died when Hotaru was 17 years old. His passing was the final straw that broke Hotaru. After he died, she stopped talking all together. The other fighters whispered amongst themselves as she walked through the complex.

"Did she actually kill him?"

"But how? She was sealed?"

"What happened to her stomach?"

"Did Yoshiro do that to her?"

No one tried to stop her as she casually walked out of that hell hole. She had earned her freedom. Bought it back with blood and seven years of her life. Most were too afraid of the woman to try to stop her. They could see there was something different about her from her normal demeanor. She wasn't the quiet girl she had been. The woman before them stood with the pride and majesty of an alpha wolf. They were afraid if they tried to stop her, she would rip them apart with her bare teeth. Others were sure that once she reached the outside, her second seal would prevent her from going any further. She pulled the large doors open and breathed deep.

The air from the outside world filled her lungs. It was fresh and clean compared to the dank lifeless air that stagnated in her subterranean home. The sweet breeze that carried the air to her brought life into her sorrowful heart.

Cautiously, Hotaru walked out of the complex and waited. She waited, for what seemed like hours, for the seal to condemn her to return to the dreaded complex. But nothing happened. Deciding that the seal was officially broken, Hotaru began walking away.

She came to a clearing where the early summer sun was gently warming a field. She stood in the sunshine, taking in a warmth she had not felt in seven years. The breeze calmed the young Akimichi woman. She wished to stay in the meadow forever, but the pain in her side brought her back to reality. Hotaru applied a little medical jutsu to calm the pain from her wound.

She started walking again. Using her bō as a crutch she moved north. When Yoshiro and Hajime carried her to the complex, they headed south from Konoha. She walked for two days before collapsing. While she had managed to numb the pain she felt, the bleeding would not stop. She fell to the ground and was on the verge of passing out.

"Kakashi!" A distant voice called out, pulling her momentarily back into reality.

"Kakashi?" Hotaru knew that name. Somewhere in her memory, she knew that name. Four figures appeared in Hotaru's periphery. In the dark of the night, Hotaru could faintly make out a head of pale pink hair. "Sakura?" She said weakly.

"How does she know you?" An unfamiliar voice asked.

"Look at the markings on her cheeks!" An energetic male's voice said as the people drew closer.

"Konoha. Akimichi." Hotaru whispered as she pulled a piece of purple fabric from the pack on her hip. The four stalked closer to Hotaru finally coming into focus. A tall, gray haired man was flanked by a blond boy with large cerulean eyes, a skinny girl with pale pink hair, and an inexplicably pale boy with eyes like Hajime. They all wore the forehead protector of her home village.

"Oh my…" The girl sighed, taking the fabric from Hotaru's limp hand. The golden embroidery shone as brightly as it had the day Hotaru had received it. "N-Naruto…" Sakura mumbled, tracing her fingers around the gold crest. "This was Hotaru's."

"Naruto." Hotaru whispered. She knew that name. She had cherished the friendship she had had with that name. With a smirk, she sighed his catchphrase, "Dattebayo!"

"She's wounded." Kakashi pointed out to the kunoichi medic. Sakura handed the fabric to the Uzumaki boy, and started to inspect the deep wound on Hotaru's left side.

"We need to get her to Konoha as soon as possible." Sakura said. She gently placed her hands above Hotaru's side to begin administering first aid.

"Do what you can for now." Kakashi replied as he summoned his favorite pug. Trusting that these four could bring her home, Hotaru finally let herself blackout.


	22. Chapter 22

Ino removed her hand from the Akimichi woman's head. Everyone watched as the light from the projection slowly faded away.

"What's going to happen to her?" Tenten asked solemnly. After everything the Konoha shinobi had seen, their ideas about what should befall Hotaru were confused and muddled. On the one hand, she there was still the kind girl they had all known, but … They all had seen her transform into a murderess once her temper had been tipped.

"She will be held in detention until the village council and I can decide what's to be done with her." Tsunade answered honestly. Like the rest of the shinobi standing gathered around her, Tsunade did not know what she was supposed to do with the girl.

"When will you meet with them?" Choji asked.

"As soon as I possibly can."

"Will you be taking her to the corrections facility?" Ino asked. Before the Hokage could reply, Ino answered for her. "I think that would be the worst possible thing you could do to her."

"Unfortunately, it isn't up to you, Ino." Tsunade spoke plainly. She did not like the idea of sending the girl to the corrections facility, but if that was what needed to be done, it would be so.

"With all do respect, Lady Tsunade," Ino continued, "you only saw what she went through. You did not feel it. I was in her head, I know what she felt, and I know that if you send her to that place, what goodness there is in her will die. She cannot survive there. And to punish her by sending her back to a hellhole - I'm sorry, but that's what it is - is a punishment Hotaru does not deserve. She is broken, not a criminal. What Hotaru needs is our help, not to be sent away to a place that is no better than that arena."

"I will take that under advisement." Lady Tsunade's voice was soft and calm. Reluctantly, Tsunade turned to the guards that flanked the door. "Restrain her and take her to her cell. I'll be placing ANBU to guard her as well. Inform me when she wakes up."

The two guards nodded, before taking the heavily sedated Akimichi girl away. Choji watched with a heavy heart as his precious Hotaru was carted off. A small hand gently clasped Choji's. He looked to see Ino holding on to him. She gently rested her head against his shoulder.

"It will be okay." She murmured. "Lady Tsunade will do right by her." With a sigh, Choji leaned his head against the blonde. He hoped she was right.

* * *

Hotaru woke to find herself laying in a dark room. The floor was freezing stone and the room was desolate. She sat up slowly, trying to let her eyes adjust to the faint light. On her left, she realized, were the bars of a prison cell.

"Hello?" She called out. A masked ANBU entered her field of vision. He wore a red and green cat mask, but did not say anything. "How long was I out?" He remained quiet. Hotaru stared at the man. She knew he wouldn't talk to her, but she voiced her questions nonetheless.

"Is that man okay? The one whose arm I broke?" The masked man nodded. Knowing that communicating with her in any means went against his orders, Hotaru appreciated the simple gesture to ease her guilt. Even if it was only slightly.

"I don't suppose you are be able to tell me what's going to happen to me, are you?"

Silence. The two stared at one another, waiting for something to happen. Hotaru stood and took a step toward the man. He was quite a bit shorter than her. She must have had nearly a foot on him. She was about to ask him another question that would never be answered when a door at the end of the hall opened. Hotaru tried to crane her neck behind the bars to see the approaching person, but she saw nothing.

After a moment, Sakura's pink head came into view. She stopped in front of the masked ANBU and bowed her head. The elite shinobi did the same before stepping away from the cell.

"Sakura." Hotaru greeted her. The skinny girl smiled and turned to Hotaru.

"Hi, Hotaru." She spoke with a forced calm. "Lady Tsunade sent me down here to brief you on the situation. After you were arrested and sedated, the Hokage had Ino go through your memories -"

"I know. She asked permission for them." The young woman replied. She moved from the cell bars and sat against the wall.

"Then you know that we know everything now?"

"Yes… There were times when conversations would slip through Ino's consciousness into me… I don't appreciate Kiba's comments about my body." She scolded the Inuzuka boy. Sakura made a mental note to relay the message on to Kiba.

"Now that we have that information, we have a better understanding of you, and the Hokage is in discussions with the village council. They are trying to figure out what is to be done with you. But, trust me, Hotaru, she will make sure whatever happens to you will be fair, and benefit you and your… mental state as best as it possibly could."

"I don't deserve fair, Sakura."

"Yes, you do! What happened to you -"

"I'm not talking about what happened to me. I'm talking about what I did. I hurt someone. I let my anger get the best of me, and I couldn't do anything to stop myself… I could see what I was doing and I just couldn't stop. For Kami's sake, I almost attacked Shino. I tried to fight 6 ANBU."

"And proper measures will be taken to make sure you don't do it again. But, Hotaru… What happened to you, the things you did out there, they played a major role in what happened the other day. We can't just ignore them -"

"I want you to ignore them!" Hotaru yelled. "I don't want you to look at me and see some poor victim who needs special treatment. I want you to look at what I did, and judge me based on that. I, a ninja of The Leaf, attacked civilians with the full knowledge they could not protect themselves against me. Punish me for that; for my crime."

Sakura stood silently. She rested her head against the bars of Hotaru's cell. A sorrowful sigh escaped her. "You're not… You're not a Konoha kunoichi anymore." She was reluctant to tell the girl. Choji or Choza should have been the ones to break the news to her. But, Sakura believed it would help Hotaru accept that Tsunade was trying to work out a plan that best fit her mental state.

"What?" Hotaru stood, cautiously edging her way to the bars.

"The day you attacked those men, Lady Tsunade had made the decision to force you into retirement. She thought living a civilian life would be easiest for you to acclimate back into Konoha. She had told Lord Choza and Choji, and they were going to tell you, but then… I'm sorry, Hotaru."

Hotaru shook her head in disbelief. "But…" Hotaru had not thought about her dream to become a respected kunoichi in years, because she believed knew better than to dream in that place. After coming home to Konoha she had figured that once she had gotten her mental state straightened out, she would be allowed to go back to fulfilling that dream. "No." She said defiantly. "I cannot accept that."

"Hotaru, it has already been decided. Lord Choza agreed to it. I'm sorry, but you're no longer a shinobi."

"Sakura, please leave." Hotaru slumped back down to the floor. She brought her knees to her chest and buried her face in her contracted body.

"Hotaru, everyone is trying to do what's best for you."

"Just, go, Sakura!" The pink haired girl looked the the ANBU on guard. He nodded his head, then resumed his position in front of the bars. Sakura walked away.

The ANBU stood in front of the prison bars, listening to the poor Akimichi woman try not to cry. He, surprisingly, felt bad for the girl. He had heard rumors about what happened to her. He couldn't imagine some of the things she had been forced into, and many people doubted whether or not the poor thing would ever be a fully functional member of society again. But if he could rise above his own past, there was no doubt this girl, who suffered a far worse fate, could. He smiled beneath his mask when heard the girl gasp as a small tree started to grow next to her left foot.

"Even in the most desolate conditions," the masked man said, "there is always a crack through which life can grow."


	23. Chapter 23

"Lady Tsunade?" Sakura asked as she entered the Hokage's office. She had not answered when Sakura had knocked. Tsunade sat at her desk, her head in her hands. A bottle of sake sat in front of her.

"As her friend," Tsunade spoke without looking to the pink haired girl, "What do you think would be best for her?"

"Um. Well, I think what Hotaru needs, er…" Sakura tried to find the words she wanted. "She needs to be carefully monitored, but I also agree with Ino. Keeping her in a cell or sending her off to the corrections facility would be the worst thing for her. She needs to stay in Konoha, surrounded by people who can support her -"

"And what if that isn't an option? What if the council is demanding blood?" Sakura didn't know how to answer.

"Um?"

"As soon as those two old codgers found out that she was back, they demanded she be detained and interrogated. I've managed to hold them off for the last month, but, after what happened… I honestly don't know what to do."

"Can't you over rule them in some way? Give them a compromise that will keep Hotaru here?"

"Do you have an idea, because I have none."

Sakura sighed heavily. She had given it some thought.

* * *

Hotaru's ANBU guard unlock her cell. Despite being so much shorter than Hotaru, she felt intimidated by him. The man had the wood element and that frightened her for some reason. She stood as he motioned for her to follow. The tall girl had to duck her head to fit through the cell door as she followed the masked ANBU to the Hokage's office. He had not restrained the girl, knowing that she would not try to escape or fight him.

She felt guilty of her crime, Yamato understood that. Because of that guilt, Hotaru would have followed him to her death just to get some relief. Although, she made it seem like she had murdered a vast number of villagers rather than beat some respect into one. Yamato considered himself a kind, forgiving man, but when he had discovered the reason as to why Hotaru's victim had been beaten, he had applauded her. Yes, the means through stopping him was not the most ethical, but in what way did they live in an ethical world? Yes, the end of the war had brought peace like none they had seen before, but there were still some people in this world who needed a reminder of what discipline truly was; Spare the rod, spoil the child.

Inside of the Hokage's office stood Mr. and Mrs. Akimichi, Choji, and the Hokage. The ANBU bowed before retreating to guard the door.

"Hotaru." Mrs. Akimichi exclaimed as she hugged the young woman tightly. Hotaru's loving aunt had spent the last four days in sheer madness worrying about her poor Lightning Bug.

Hotaru avoided looking to her uncle. She could feel him staring at her and she knew what he felt was not relief. He was displeased with the girl. She let go of her aunt. Hotaru stepped toward the Hokage and bowed deeply.

"The council and I have come to an agreement as to what is to be done with you, Akimichi Hotaru."

She did not look to the Hokage; her eyes remained fixed on her feet.

"We have decided that you will continue living in Konoha, as a civilian with no option of ever joining the ninja ranks again. You will attend your daily therapy sessions, and you will be allowed to remain at the Akimichi estate. However, a personal ANBU detail will be assigned to you 24 hours a day, your access to certain areas of the village, certain people will be restricted, you will be banned from festivals and celebrations, and you will be required to wear these at all times." The Hokage pulled a pair of metal bracelets from a drawer within her desk. "If you agree to these terms, you will be spared a harsher punishment." Hotaru looked at the bracelets for only a second before returning her gaze to the floor. She did not need to ask what they were. She already knew. She had been forced to wear a collar like them for a year.

"What are those?" Choji asked.

"They suppress chakra." Choza answered solemnly. He knew full well the ramifications that would take place if Hotaru was forced to stop the chakra flow throughout her body. Despite the fact that she had grown immensely and gained weight, Hotaru was still the sick child she had been born as. Hotaru was still using the Calorie Control Jutsu to mildly regulate medicinal chakra throughout her body. If that was to be stopped, she would quickly fall ill again. Only a few Akimichi - and one surprisingly nosey Nara - knew the secret of how Hotaru used this jutsu, none of whom were on the village council. The council could not have known that their decision was, in effect, a death sentence.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow Hotaru to accept these conditions." The head of the Akimichi stated. All eyes, save for Hotaru's, fell on the large man. "As the head of her clan, I believe this decision to be ill advised and cruel. Hotaru will not wear those manacles."

"This is not up to you."

"As her clan head, all decisions concerning her welfare will be approved by me."

"This is the punishment the village council has determined to be the best for Hotaru. We overrule you when it comes to the Konoha's safety. She can either accept or -"

"I accept." Hotaru voiced. She had found what little bravery she had left and stared at the Hokage. "I accept and will willingly abide by your terms."

"Hotaru, you can't!" Choji exclaimed. He took hold of her shoulders, gently shaking her. Maybe he thought he would shake the decision out of her mind, but Hotaru did not see the point in his outburst. "You know why you can't -"

"I do. And that is why I accept it."

"No." Her cousin adamantly stood his ground. "I won't let you."

"It is my life, Choji! Let me decide what happens to it!" Hotaru yelled at her beloved cousin. "For once, I have the opportunity to have a say in decisions that everyone else seems perfectly content to make without ever asking me. Let me make my own choice. Let me decide my own fate for once in my shitty life!" Hotaru forcefully pushed her cousin's hands away from her before turning to the Hokage. "I accept your conditions. Now let me go home."

Lady Tsunade nodded. The ANBU came forward, taking the manacles from the Hokage's desk and placed them on each of Hotaru's wrists. When the second bracelet was sealed shut, Hotaru felt the chakra stop flowing immediately. That helpful life force that kept her going for so many years was gone in an instant. These bracelets were a lot stronger than the collar she had been forced to wear; there was almost no seepage of chakra once it had been suppressed. The suddenness of it cause Hotaru to go weak in the knees. The ANBU caught her and set her upright. He hesitated before letting go, a sudden loose of chakra was not only disorientating but could be life threatening. To loose that powerful energy in such a short amount of time could shock a person's system beyond repair. A small nod from the Akimichi woman told him that she was alright to stand on her own. Yamato let go of her but debated going back to the door. The shock to her system could be delayed, and he was too cautious to find out.

"Your therapy sessions will resume tomorrow. Dismissed." The Hokage stated and watched the solemn Akimichis file out of her office. They were trailed by Yamato. He would watch over the girl until midnight when the next ANBU would take over his shift.

As the Akimichis quietly stalked through town on their way home, villagers stopped and stared at the family. News of Hotaru's actions quickly spread throughout Konoha. Both ninja and civilian hypothesized and gossiped about the girl and what had really happened. The civilians seemed to completely despise the girl, while the ninjas could see why she had acted so. Many of them had heard what had become of the girl for the last seven years, and understood that she would have difficult times ahead of her. The civilians on the other hand had no clue about her. She had just shown up out of the blue a month ago and then started beating on random people. They didn't care to find out the truth, gossip was easier.

Once the five people were back at the Akimichi estate, Hotaru went straight to her bedroom and locked the door. Yamato stood outside the room. After a couple minutes, he heard the shower turn on. Every now and again, Yamato thought he could hear faint, muffled sobs.


	24. Chapter 24

There was a light knocking on Hotaru's door. The girl rolled over in her bed, facing away from the wooden entrance. Another knock. She thought about getting up and letting whoever it was in, but decided she would rather stare at the wall.

"Hotaru?" Choza called softly. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. After a moment, a small click signaled the lock's release. Hotaru turned her head to see the wood user ANBU standing in the doorway; a small wooden key retreated into his finger. Hotaru returned her gaze to the wall.

"May I come in?" Her uncle asked as he stepped through the entrance. Hotaru shrugged her shoulders apathetically. The clan head slowly walked into the darkened room. It was only mid-afternoon, but Hotaru had drawn the curtains, throwing her bedroom into a hazey darkness. Her bed sank as Choza sat down on it. "Lightning Bug." He said softly.

"Please, don't call me that. I'm not Lightning Bug anymore."

"No, you will always be my Lightning Bug." He gently sat one palm on her calf. "I wish your life had turned out differently for you. You didn't deserve any of the trials you have been forced into. You didn't deserve to loose both of your parents, or to be sick, or forced into that arena. And you don't deserve the punishment you are being dealt now. But despite all of that, you have managed to become one of the strongest Akimichi to have ever lived. Not in strength in power, but in your ability to endure. You always accepted the fate you were given and made the best of the situation. But this… Wearing these manacles is not the way to take control of your fate, Lightning Bug. When the illness comes back - "

"What would you rather I do? Would you rather I wear the manacles and become sick, all the while trying to become the girl who used to be your Lightning Bug? Or should I be carted off to the corrections facility where I will spend my days surrounded by criminals with no chance of redemption? I've already lived through that, Uncle. And I will never go back to it. I will not trade one hellhole for another. So what if I become sick again. So what if it kills me. If that happens, I will accept it, knowing that it was my choice.

The large Akimichi laughed with a sigh. He stood, then bent over his niece's body. "That is why you will always be my Lightning Bug." Choza smiled sweetly at the girl before kissing her cheek. He caressed her thick, red hair and walked away.

"Uncle?" Hotaru inquired, turning to see her uncle's back. "You're not disappointed in me?" He chuckled as if the answer was obvious and left the room. Her ANBU guard stood in the doorway. It had only been five days since she had put on the bracelets, but the ANBU's silent presence had already grown on the young woman.

He had never spoken more than a sentence to Hotaru, but she liked him. Despite his intimidating mask, she could feel a certain kindness in him. Hotaru felt like he understood her. She wished they could speak on normal terms, but so long as he was in that mask, that would never happen.

Hotaru only left her room to go to her therapy sessions. She spent the rest of her time laying in her bed, staring at a wall or the ceiling. Shikamaru and some of the others had stopped by to ask how she was doing, but the ANBU would not permit them entrance into her room, and she refused to leave.

It wasn't that Hotaru did not want to see them, but rather she did not want them to see her - and in Naruto's case, she was not allowed to see him by order of the council. As soon as her chakra had been suppressed, Hotaru began to feel weak. The walk from the Hokage Tower to her home winded the girl in ways she had not experienced in years. No amount of sleep and rest seemed to make her feel normal again.

The ANBU nodded his head slightly before shutting the door. Hotaru heard the gentle click of her lock. Once the door was closed, Hotaru let out the cough she had been holding back. It was a noisy, thick bark that made her lungs rattle. Her slow decay into illness was already starting.

* * *

There was a knock on the Hokage's door, pulling the woman's attention away from her work. A rather nervous looking chuunin entered holding scrolls and documents.

"Lady Hokage, the information you requested from Kirigakure has arrived." She stated before handing the documents over. The blonde woman looked over the intel with a grim face.

"Is this everything they had?" Tsunade questioned when she reached the end of the last scroll. There was barely anything to them, apart from some names and a couple incident reports.

"Yes ma'am. A lot of records were lost under the Fourth Mizukage. Her ladyship, the Fifth, sends her apologizes for the lack of intel regarding the man." Lady Tsunade dismissed the chuunin with the wave of her hand.

"So, this is the real Hajime…" She quietly whispered, fishing a picture of the dark haired man out of the records. The Hokage reread the documents on the former Mist shinobi. She would have thought the Mizukage was joking, but knowing Kirigakure's unfortunate past, the Hokage understood this was the best they could do for her.

Tsunade debated with herself for a long time whether or not the intel should be shared with the Akimichi girl. Hajime was deceased after all, and Tsunade should respect the memories Hotaru had with the man. But, Tsunade could not let herself withhold information from the young woman. Hotaru deserved to at least know all aspects of the man's life, she could decide for herself whether to believe them or not.

* * *

Shikamaru sat on the mountain side behind the Akimichi home. He was laying on his back, staring up at the clouds. His best friend sat next to him, staring at a rice cake. Food that normally would have been devoured in seconds sat unloved in Choji's hand. After everything that had happened in their lives, Choji had never lost his appetite before.

"She can't keep wearing those bracelets, Shikamaru." Choji finally stated, pulling the lazy one's attention away from the sky.

"What other choice has she?" The Nara male asked. "If she didn't accept the Hokage's offer, she would have been sent away. At least with this, she is home."

"But, she needs that chakra… We should have told the Hokage about it. Even after Hotaru accepted the offer, we should have told Lady Tsunade."

"Hotaru made it quite clear that this is her choice. Are you really going to take that away from her?" Shikamaru did not like this turn of events, but the girl finally was able to make a decision about her own life. He hated knowing that whatever illness she had would come back, but Shikamaru could not take away Hotaru's right to make her own choices. This was her life, and he was going to support whatever decision she made, no matter the consequences.

When it came to the girl, Shikamaru was surprisingly invested. He could remember when his investment in the girl started, so so many years ago. He had just turned seven years old, but there was nothing to celebrate. Instead, he spent his seventh birthday standing next to Choji at Hotaru's bedside. The entire Akimichi family milled about the main house waiting for news on the ailing 5 year old. They all believed she was laying on her death bed, even Tsunade said there was nothing that could be done - the great Slug Princess did not know what was killing the girl. The poor child, so weak and frail, her skin had turned to an ashy gray and could not breath no matter how hard she tried. She hadn't even opened her eyes in two days. Some relief was brought when she sat upright, but she was far to weak to sit on her own accord. Choza held her in his lap, solemnly looking down at the dying child in his arms. Choji sat on his mother's lap while Shikamaru clung tight to his father's hand. Shikaku cared about the fate of the young Akimichi more than his son knew. Choza was the Nara head's best friend and teammate, and he knew how important the tiny girl was to the man. She was the only memento of his brother, and now he was loosing her too.

What had stuck in the Nara boy's memory was how noisy the room was. Despite the fact that no one spoke, everything was so loud. The sound of the plumbing running, of her ragged breaths, of the rest of the clan waiting for an update, it was all deafening.

They had been told that she wouldn't survive the night. Shikamaru's father took the boy home, despite the fact that he wanted to stay with his friend. Shikaku promised to come back in the morning. But the night came and went and Hotaru kept fighting. After a couple days, the girl opened her eyes and spoke her uncle's name. By some miracle, the child survived. Her training to use the family jutsu to distribute medicinal chakra began once the girl could stand on her own. For years the girl happily lived her life, somewhere between health and illness. And then she was gone.

After her disappearance, Shikamaru had annoyed Choji to give him any information that could help find her. Shikamaru had tried to use the information of her unique chakra usage to help use the search parties lock on to her. But, the search was called off almost as immediately as he found out, and he almost couldn't cope. He swallowed his feelings about loosing the girl and let the fester for years. He didn't even speak her name. The girl was a taboo subject that was too painful to be brought up.

But then a distraction in the form of Temari came along two years after Hotaru's disappearance. And he was content with things as they were. Until the war happened. While stuck in that damn dream Madara had created, Shikamaru came to the revelation that relationships were not worth his time because they would almost always end in the heartbreak of death. It had happened to Asuma and Kurenai, it had happened to his mother and father. And on some level, he believed it had happened between himself and Hotaru. Shikamaru couldn't put himself or Temari through that pain, and so he let the relationship die.

But, unlike his father and Asuma, Hotaru came back. It took her seven years to earn her freedom, but she was alive and Hotaru was here. And she had walked into the lazy boy's life, stirred it up just enough that he felt responsive to her. Then she was out of reach yet again. Shikamaru wanted to break down her door and remind her that she doesn't have to be alone in this. Dammit, he just wanted to hold the girl until he knew she would be okay. How troublesome could a woman get?

Choji looked past the Akimichi estate to see the Hokage walking briskly toward his homestead. "What does she want?" Shikamaru glanced down at her. His eyes narrowed as the Hokage made another house call.


	25. Chapter 25

Tsunade sat inside the Akimichi house waiting for the young woman to enter the living room. Choji and Shikamaru walked in just as Hotaru strolled languidly down the hall. If the two jonin had not known otherwise, she would have looked as if she didn't have a care in the world.

"Lady Tsunade." Hotaru said. She walked past the friends and looked to the Hokage. Shikamaru and Choji were about to walk in when the ANBU stopped them. "It's okay. They can be here." Tsunade looked to the guard. He nodded his head and let to two young men pass. Choza guided his niece to the chair opposite Tsunade. The young woman sat down with some difficulty, as if her joints were locking up from her lack of movement.

"After learning of your… friend, Hajime, last week I sent word to the Mizukage, asking for any information concerning him and his disappearance from the Mist." Tsunade handed the girl the documents. "Unfortunately, they don't have a lot of information on him, but what they did have -"

"What the hell is this?" Hotaru asked, looking up from the papers in her hand. She held up an entry from one of Kirikagure's old bingo books. On the sheet were pictures of Hajime when he had been about 14 years old.

"His real name is Iwamoto Tsuyoshi and was an S-rank missing nin who left the Mist ten years ago… After killing his direct superior and four of his comrades. No one knows why he went on a killing spree. Two years after he went rogue, a Mist Hunter Nin found him fleeing from Water Country into Fire. The nin was able to get word back to Mist that he had been spotted in the company of Miyoshi Yoshiro, one of Water Country's mob kingpins. She had an abundance of information blatantly stating that, together, they were running multiple gambling rings. But Kirigakure never got another report from her, and her body was never found - I suspect she was taken hostage in much the same way you were."

Hotaru looked at the picture of Hajime's bingo book entry, trying to listen to what the Hokage was saying. Her breath hitched in her throat, letting out an involuntary sigh. Slowly, she began pilfering through the papers she held, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

This could not be. Hajime was not a S-rank criminal, he was not Yoshiro's lackey. He was her protector and friend. He cared for her. He died for her.

"The man I knew would have never done something like this."

"Hotaru, he kept you in a dungeon for almost half of your life -"

"No! Boss kept me. Hajime helped me. He understood everything that I had to do. He was not Iwamoto Tsuyohsi! He was Hajime!"

"Tanaka Hajime was one of the men that Tsuyoshi murdered." Tsunade spoke as she grabbed a photograph from the mess Hotaru had made. The two men could have been brothers except for Tanaka's bright purple eyes. "From what I can tell, this Hajime was Tsuyoshi's best friend. The man you knew may not have acted like the man in the bingo book, but Hotaru, the Hajime you knew was … He was a fairy tale, created to lull you into a comfortable relationship and keep you from rebelling."

"No!" Hotaru spat as she threw the documents from her lap. Papers fluttered about the room. "The man I knew died for me. Whoever that man was, was not Hajime."

The young woman stood and began walking out of the room.

"You told me that Hajime was the one who pulled you out of the river the night you disappeared?"

"So?"

"If he had been bound to the complex in the same manner as you had, how was he so far away from the arena that night? If the seal that kept you prisoner for seven years was as strong as you believed, how could anyone be at least a two day's journey away? So, was he really sealed and bound there, or was it all an illusion to keep you immobilized? Didn't you ever feel like the others were wary of you not because of your ability to survive, but because of who you were associated with?"

The nickname she had been given - 'Boss' Whore' - suddenly burst into her mind. She had always assumed that people called her that because she had her own quarters. But in truth, the rumors didn't start until after she had been discovered sneaking into Hajime's room because of a nightmare. If Hajime had been another fighter, the others would have ignored it. Plenty of them had paired off, seeking one last carnal refuge before a fight. But, if Hajime was this Tsuyoshi, and he was Yoshiro's second in command…

Hotaru stood quietly contemplating what Tsunade had just asked. Her knuckles cracked as she clenched her fists. The young woman said nothing as she left the room. Everyone watched her as the ANBU followed. When they heard the door slam, all eyes turned to the Hokage. She quietly dismissed herself, hoping that the Akimichis would be able to handle whatever Hotaru's reaction would be. Choji was about to speak when the sound of glass shattering pulled them all to their feet.

Hotaru was shrieking as she threw things about her room. Loud crashes interrupted her screams as more and more items were catapulted at her walls. The woman would stop wailing long enough to grab hold of something to be chucked and broken. The four people ran to the back of the house where they found the ANBU desperately trying to break down the door.

"She's managed to block it somehow." He yelled above the screaming girl. Something hit the door and shattered.

"Stand back." Choza hollered over the girl's screaming. He was going to use the partial expansion technique when all noise inside the room stopped. Yamato pushed on the door, which now opened with ease. Choji dashed into the room to find Hotaru collapsed on the floor. She was surrounded by the shattered remains of everything she owned, and was gasping for breath.

He walked lightly, trying not to cut himself on a shard of glass. The Akimichi male gently pulled his adoptive sister to her feet. As soon as she was upright, she violently pushed the boy away.

"Don't touch me!" She shrieked as the palms of her hands connected with Choji's chest. The cousin desperately tried to grab hold of her flailing wrists, but doing so only made her angrier. Hotaru was about to punch him square in the nose, when her hand stopped mid-throw. A black shadow snaked around her body, forcing her to become immobile.

Hotaru growled as her entire body shook with fury. She was pushing back against the shadow bind, slowly forcing it to retreat. The girl was running on pure adrenaline and strength. Shikamaru wouldn't be able to hold her much longer. He had just about lost control of the girl when four wooden pillars appeared and wrapped themselves around Hotaru's arms and legs. Shikamaru released the shadow as she desperately fought against the wooden restraints. The ANBU stepped forward, pulling a syringe out of one of his pockets. He dosed the girl with a mild tranquilizer. She fell limp against the wood almost immediately. Yamato released the restraints, catching the girl before she fell to the ground. He gently sat Hotaru on her bed before turning to face the concerned Akimichis.

"If you would like, I can confine her to her bed." He said monotonously. Choza shook his head 'no' with some reluctance.

"We'll see how she is when she wakes up." The clan head replied.

"A report should be made with the Hokage. As her only guard on duty, I cannot leave -"

"I will talk with Lady Tsunade." Mrs. Akimichi offered. She sadly walked away from the grief-stricken bedroom. Choza followed her to the front of the estate.

Without a word, Choji bent down to begin picking up the pieces of Hotaru's shattered room. Shikamaru joined him. Quietly, the Nara boy asked his friend, "are you okay?"

"She tried to hit me…" Choji muttered quietly, looking over to the tranquilized girl. "Lady Tsunade should have never come here. She should have just left Hotaru's memory of Hajime alone."

"Would you have really wanted her to, Choji?"

"Yes! Hotaru had one good thing happen in her life, and it was Hajime. She deserved what little happiness she felt with him. She told us he was everything to her, and now Tsunade has destroyed that." Angry with the Hokage, Choji threw the rubble he had been collecting into the trash.

"If he really was using Hotaru, she deserved to know -"

"Shut up!" Choji snapped at his best friend. "If you cared about her as much as you claim to - if the Shikamaru that was so heartbroken over loosing her was listening - you would want her to be able to keep what made her happy. Even if it meant lying to her."

Shikamaru stood up as he threw away the broken pieces of Hotaru's life. "Man, you're so troublesome," was all he muttered as he left the Akimichi estate. How dare Choji try to use his own emotions against him. How dare that stupid Akimichi think that he didn't care for Hotaru because he would rather tell her the truth.

_'This is what happens when you become invested in someone!'_ Shikamaru screamed inside his head. _'This is why relationships are too troublesome to be worthwhile. They are nothing more than greedy grabs at lies and false hopes. All people want is to manipulate you and twist your own feelings against you. She's not worth all this trouble. She's not worth all of the anger and worry and doubt. She's just some insane, violent child who is beyond anyone's help. Choji was being the selfish one; rather keeping her in a false sense of happiness than telling her the truth. The truth was she was being used by a criminal and a manipulative bastard. He didn't love her and want to protect her. All he cared about was keeping Hotaru complacent and making money off of her. Someone like him didn't care about her. He might have gotten to be with her, but he didn't know what it meant to really hold her. He didn't know what it was like to be in love with her … Dammit! Why is she so troublesome!?'_


	26. Chapter 26

Hotaru sat on the back veranda listening to the noise emanating from the village. The Star Festival was carrying on and she could hear the sound of happy people walking the streets; buying goods from vendors or playing games. The sounds of the village were caught by the rocky cliffs behind her home, and reverberated loudly back at her. The echoes of life happening outside her family estate made the girl feel lonesome, but oddly content. Despite not being able to take part in the festivities, just hearing the village and its happiness was enough for her.

_'Happy birthday, Kiba…'_ Hotaru thought to herself.

It was early August, but the evening was turning out to be surprisingly chilly. A light blanket was carefully draped over her shoulders. Hotaru looked up to see the cat mask staring down at her. She nodded her head in thanks, then looked back towards the mountain cliffs. Hotaru didn't talk much these days.

After Hotaru's discovery of Hajime's potential betrayal, the girl had shut down completely. She wouldn't eat, she wouldn't talk, and she wouldn't move from the fetal position on her bed. In the days that followed, Hotaru's therapist would make house calls. Keiko fully understood the young woman's need to be in a comfortable place while she processed the information Tsunade dealt her. But after 5 days, Hotaru started becoming more responsive to life around her. After a couple weeks, her emotional state was almost back to where she had started out. The therapist would have been lying if she said she wasn't surprised by Hotaru's seemingly fast recovery.

The only people in the house during the festival were the young Akimichi and her ANBU. The others had decided to go into the village for the festivities. Choji had already had plans with his friends - even though he would have been more than willing to stay home with the lonely girl. Despite Mrs. Akimichi's protests, Hotaru managed to convince her that she would be fine home alone. She had her ANBU, after all. Hotaru and Yamato had silently bonded over the last couple of weeks. Both of them somehow understood that the other had survived difficult times without so much as uttering a word to one another. In that time, the man had become more of a silent protector than a guard. He actually seemed to guard the girl from angry villagers more than protecting them from her.

On multiple occasions, the poor Akimichi had been accosted on her way to her therapy sessions by villagers who wanted her out of Konoha. Most of the time he was able to scare them off merely by looking at them. Once, a brave soul assaulted Hotaru while Yamato was trying to prevent another villager from shouting abuses at her. Hotaru didn't fight back, but then again, she couldn't fight back. It got to the point that a couple jonins had to intervene and pull the man off of the young woman. Because of the attack, the girl developed a black eye, a busted lip, and a fractured jaw. She would walk past the villagers everyday to and from her sessions wearing those bruises as proof that she would endure whatever they could throw at her.

After that attack, however, Yamato started to notice more and more shinobi of all ranks congregating along the path that Hotaru had to walk. The ninja did not acknowledge the girl, but Yamato knew they were there to try to protect her. She had been one of their own before she was forced to retire. They understood better than the civilians that Hotaru had endured too many hardships to be treated with such blatant disrespect.

The girl had lost a considerable amount of weight in the few weeks Yamato had known her. She had always been particularly skinny, but she had always looked healthy. Now she was gaunt and, frankly, she looked like death. Her chin had thinned out so much that she no longer had a round face, and her high cheekbones gave her face a hollow look. The vibrant yellow of her eyes had slowly dulled to the point that they appeared nearly white and her skin was starting to take on a grey look. She tried to hide her coughing fits at first, but they were happening to frequently to deny their existence. The coughs were hollow, rough barks that reverberated in her chest. Sometimes, Yamato could hear fluid and phlegm trying to dislodge itself from her airways. When the coughs would start, the ANBU would only leave her side for a moment to bring her a glass of water.

"ANBU?" Hotaru asked without turning to face the man. He stepped forward to acknowledge her. "It's almost time for my evening meds. Can you get them from my bathroom?" The girl's voice was rasped from lack of use. Yamato nodded and retreated into the house.

It bothered Hotaru that she didn't know his name. Even though she had bonded with him, not knowing his name or face made the loneliness she felt seem much more immense. Ever since the fight between Choji and Shikamaru very few of the people she called friends came by to see her. She could understand their wariness of her. If she had tried to hurt Choji, the most important person in her life, how safe could they be? But it was lonely being in this big house everyday with only a silent ANBU to keep her company.

As soon as Yamato had vanished inide the house, a swarm of insects flew into Hotaru's back garden. They hovered a few feet outside of the veranda before forming simple words before her.

"Star festival?" Shino asked via the insects. Hotaru shook her head 'no'.

"Can't." She replied, happy that she was finally communicating with someone, even if it was through bugs. The swarm rearranged itself.

"Banned?"

"Yes."

"We come to you?"

"We?"

"Konoha 11."

"… Are Choji and Shikamaru speaking?"

"No. Shikamaru on mission." The swarm suddenly dispersed as Yamato could be heard walking toward Hotaru. The girl felt guilty that she had been the cause of a rift between the two. They were best friends. She was just some girl. Yes, Hotaru was important, but when it came down to it, their friendship mattered more to her than the girl coming between them. If she had the strength to knock their heads together, she would have.

Yamato stood beside Hotaru to hand her a palm-full of pills and a glass of water. She nodded her thanks and swallowed her medicine. Instead of returning to his post behind Hotaru, the ANBU sat down next to her.

"I cannot tell you my name, nor can I show you my face," the ANBU spoke, causing Hotaru to stare at him wide-eyed with shock and wonder. "But, know that no matter what happens to you, Hotaru, I will not abandon you. I know what it is like to live on as you watch everyone around you die, and I understand the guilt you feel knowing that you have had the misfortune of being strong enough to survive. I know what it feels like to be manipulated by someone you were meant to trust. And I would never wish that kind of betrayal on anyone. I understand you, and I do not judge you for the acts that you have committed. I do this not for your sake or for mine, but because I once felt lost like you. I had the fortune of having a senpai that would never abandon me, because he too knew how it felt to survive when all those around him died… As for your friends' creative way of asking if they could come over," He yelled out into the distance, fully aware of their distinct chakra presences, "all they really have to do is knock on the door."

"What about Naruto?" Hotaru asked. "The council banned me from seeing him; said he was too important to the village."

After a moment of silence, Yamato whispered, "I won't tell if you won't."


	27. Chapter 27

Nine people made their way to the back of the Akimichi home. Choji had warned them of Hotaru's appearance, but none of them could have expected to see the sickly girl sitting in her back garden. She was so frail and pallid, way more so than any of them could have imagined. Yamato stood beside the girl, silently playing watchdog.

"Hey, Hotaru!" Naruto yelled as he walked outside. The girl slowly looked to her friend, a pleasant smile across her ashen face. "Sorry its been so long since we could visit. Been busy with missions and such." He nervously laughed and sat on the ground next to the girl.

Naruto knew about the ban the village had placed on her association with him - which he had complained about heavily to Granny Tsunade. She had also been technically banned from being in contact with any of her friends who were in line to become their families' next leader, but had never been told about them. This eliminated everyone save Lee and Tenten from seeing Hotaru. Shikamaru seemed to be the only exception to the rule, but after his fight with Choji, he had stopped visiting the Akimichi estate. The Nara male had confided in Naruto that he wanted to make amends, but he couldn't abandon his belief that the Hokage had done the right thing.

"How do you feel?" Hinata asked as she joined the Uzumaki on the ground.

"I look worse than I feel." Hotaru lied

"Well, you look pretty bad." Naruto laughed.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled.

"It's okay. I know I look like death." Everyone froze. She had meant it as a joke, but at her present rate of decay, they all knew it would not be a joke for very much longer. Majority of them did not know the cause of her illness was the bracelets she had been made to wear. They all believed that the sudden onset of her malady was merely time catching up with her. She had been on her deathbed as a child, the Konoha 11 figured it was only time before she came out of remission. Only Shikamaru and Choji knew those damn wristlets were Hotaru's ultimate undoing. Choji eagerly flanked his cousin. Even without Shikamaru there, Hotaru could feel Choji's residual anger. Shino stood back by the door, avoiding Choji.

Unbeknownst to Hotaru, the fight that had occurred between them had split the group in two. Sakura, Ino, Tenten, and Lee all agreed with Choji - Lady Tsunade should have kept the news of Hajime's possible betrayal to herself. Kiba, Shino, Hinata, and Naruto sided with Shikamaru - even if he had reformed his ways by the time Hotaru met Hajime, she deserved to know the truth about him. They all tried their hardest to act cordially with one another around Hotaru, but it took a lot of effort.

Kiba was the last to walk out on to the veranda. One look at the Akimichi girl glued him in place. The darkness that he had sensed nearly two months earlier was completely gone. But so was the light that kept Hotaru tranquil. He should have at least gotten some sense of her emotional state, but the girl was completely empty; devoid of everything. The Inuzuka tried to sniff for her scent, but she had none. Even the smell of camellias from her shampoo did not grace the air around her. If he did not see her with his own two eyes, Kiba would have never known Hotaru was sitting before him. He did not know what this meant, and he was scared to find out what these anomalies foretold.

"Hey, Kid." Kiba greeted kindly as he forced himself to step forward.

"Happy birthday, Kiba!" Hotaru cheered as joyously as she could muster. The sudden outburst caused the girl to start coughing. Rough, wet gasps escaped her as she tried hard to catch her breath. Yamato was at her side within a second, glass of water in hand. He was starting to become accustomed to playing nurse for the poor girl. Sakura instinctively stuck her hand against Hotaru's forehead.

"You've got a fever, Hotaru. You really shouldn't be outside." The medic worriedly voiced.

"It's alright. I've always run a little hot." Hotaru laughed as she sipped on her water. "Why are you all here? Shouldn't you be out, enjoying the festival?"

"We felt bad, knowing you were here all by yourself. So, we decided to see you instead." Lee energetically answered.

"And," Kiba chimed in, "I have something for you."

"Shouldn't I be the one giving presents today, Kiba?"

"Well, yes. But, I thought you would like to meet someone." A toothy, mischievous grin played across his mouth as Hotaru stared at him in confusion. The boy turned around and opened the back door. Akamaru bounded out the door, followed by another dog Hotaru did not know. He was a large, pure white dog who arrogantly strode out on to the veranda. The ninken was twice the size of Akamaru, and put the younger dog's white fur to shame. The new dog was practically glowing, he was so white. He looked much like Kuromaru, taking on the more wolfish qualities of his breed.

"Shiromaru," Kiba spoke, "this is Hotaru." The Akimichi girl stood quickly from her chair at the mention of Shiromaru's name. She stood too fast, causing blood rush to her head. She toppled backwards, her legs unwilling to support her. Yamato caught the young woman, but she pushed herself out of his arms and forced her way to the dog; stumbling frequently as she did so.

"So," the dog spoke in a hard, brusque voice, "this is Mistress' **Koinu***." The dog took in the sight of the sickly woman. She did not mean to but Hotaru dropped to her knees before the dog. Hesitantly, she held out her hand to be sniffed. Shiromaru did nothing but stare into Hotaru's faded yellow eyes. After a tense silence, Shiromaru spoke. "You look like her, my Mistress; the same eyes."

Hotaru smiled at him. No one had ever told her what her mother had looked like, let alone that she resembled the long forgotten Inuzuka. A small tear escaped her eye. "Do not cry, Koinu." The dog's harsh voice suddenly softened as he inched closer to the girl. He lovingly licked the tear from her cheek. "I have dreamt of meeting you as well."

Hotaru wrapped her arms around the dog's neck and pulled him into a hug. Quietly, so only she could hear him, Shiromaru whispered in her ear. "I am sorry, Koinu, that I could not fulfill my mistress' wishes and protect you. But, if you will have me now, I promise my loyalty to you." Hotaru nodded her head in his snowy fur and began bawling. "Mistress would have been proud of the woman you have become, Koinu."

Her happiness was short-lived.

Hotaru's breath caught in her throat as she tried to quit crying, throwing the girl into a coughing fit like none she had experienced previously. If she had not already been on her knees, Hotaru would have collapsed into the fit. She threw herself down on her hands, as she fought to control the coughs. Hotaru felt herself choking as something worked its way out of her lungs. Gagging, trying to force whatever was caught in her throat out, droplets of blood started dribbling from her mouth. A large gob of crimson mucus came forth and landed on the floor. The Akimichi woman stared the the bloody puddle, horrified by what had emerged from her body. She tried to scream, but began coughing again. As soon as Hotaru had spit out the blood, Sakura and Ino were at the her side.

"Is this the first time this has happened?" Ino asked as Sakura began inspecting the girl. Both Yamato and Choji nodded, unable to speak.

"Her fever's spiked." Sakura said, as Hotaru began choking on more blood. No matter how hard she tried to force the mass in her throat out, Hotaru could not expel it. Everyone watched in horrified silence as Sakura began the Heimlich maneuver on the choking woman. No matter how much pressure Sakura forced against the Akimichi's body, her airways would not open. Finally, Hotaru spat out the blood that had stopped her breathing.

Sakura let go of her friend, only to find she had fallen unconscious. Her limp body fell to the floor. Ino rolled her on to her back and listened to her heart.

"She's not breathing." Ino stated. Sakura's hands began to glow with green energy as she placed them above Hotaru's chest. No matter how much chakra she poured into the Akimichi girl, Sakura could not get her breathing again. She was becoming desperate, trying to pull the Hotaru back to life.

"Take the bracelets off!" Choji yelled, running across the veranda. He grabbed at Hotaru's wrists, trying to tear the manacles from her body.

"What?" Ino asked as Sakura continued to pump chakra into Hotaru's system.

"No mater how much medical jutsu you use on her, it won't work until you get them off. That's because as long as the bracelets are on, all chakra in her body is being suppressed." Shino answered. Choji groaned, trying to find the release.

"The only way to release the bracelets," Yamato pushed the Akimichi boy aside, "is for the person who put them on to infuse a small portion of chakra into them." The ANBU placed both hand on the wristlets, almost immediately they fell off of her body. "Try again, Sakura." Yamato demanded.

Sakura did as she was told. Instantly, Hotaru gasped for air. She let out a few ragged breaths. Everyone sighed with relief. She was having trouble, but she was breathing. Choji took hold of her hands and squeezed tightly.

As if she hadn't almost died and with a disarming smile on her face Hotaru looked at the boy holding on to her. Innocence she hadn't felt in ages crept into her heart as she stared at him. She may have been the one who forced the boys apart, but she was damned sure to be the one to bring them back together. "Don't fight because of me…"

"S-Sakura!" Hinata yelled from behind Choji. She pushed passed the Akimichi male, and dropped to the floor next to Hotaru. Hotaru's eyes rolled back in her head, and she began gasping for air again.

"What the hell is going on!?" Sakura exclaimed, forcing medicinal chakra back into her system.

"Her entire chakra system is blocked." Hinata stated, activating her Byakugan. "You can pump the chakra into her, but she can't regulate it through her body."

"But the bracelets…" Choji stated, dumbfounded.

"We need to get her to the hospital." Ino commanded. Sakura nodded, breaking the chakra connection.

"No! Don't stop the chakra flow!" Hinata pleaded. "If you stop, she'll go into respiratory failure again and her heart will stop. Choji, you carry her. Sakura keep pumping the chakra in."

"I'm nearly spent." Sakura said, looking helplessly out at her friends. It had taken almost everything she had just to get Hotaru's lungs functioning again. Trying to get to the hospital through the throng of people out for the festival would take more than she had in her.

Naruto stepped forward. He touched the girl's heart, transferring a large amount of chakra to her. She was shrouded in the orange glow of a bijuu chakra cloak. "This should hold her off until we can get her to the hospital. The cloak should be able to replenish whatever chakra she looses in transport."

The Konoha 11 rushed out of the Akimichi estate. Naruto ran ahead of everyone, yelling at civilians and shinobi to make way for the girl. Akamaru and Shiromaru ran at Naruto's heels, biting at any who tried to block Hotaru's path. Much to Yamato's surprise, people seemed wonderfully complacent and willing to let the Akimichi girl through without hesitation. The group reached the hospital just as the last of the chakra cloak surrounding Hotaru died away.

A nurse stopped all but Choji, Sakura, and Hinata from entering the emergency room. They were told if she pulled through, she would be taken to the Intensive Care Unit. The seven people - and begrudgingly two dogs - were to wait there until they could receive news. Yamato stood at the waiting room door, watching carefully for the moment when Hotaru would be wheeled to her room.

"Someone needs to find Mr. and Mrs. Akimichi…" Tenten quietly voiced.

"I'll go." Ino volunteered.

"No. You stay here. Choji will need you once she gets out of the ER. I'll go." Naruto offered. He left silently on his quest to find Hotaru's adoptive parents.

After a half hour, Choji walked into the waiting room.

"Any news?" Lee asked.

"Tsunade just arrived, and is trying to figure out how to unblock her chakra network. They told me there was nothing I could do for now, so they sent me out here… None of this would have happened if we just told Tsunade about Hotaru's jutsu!"

"Hotaru's jutsu?" Lee questioned. "What jutsu?"

"Hotaru modified the Akimichi's Calorie Control Jutsu to convert stored calories into medical chakra, and pumped it through her system for the majority of her life. That's how she stopped getting sick after she almost died when she was five. Because those bracelets she wore suppressed chakra, Hotaru couldn't produce the chakra she needed to keep herself healthy, and this is the result."

"But, she wore that collar when she was captured…?" Kiba questioned.

"It wasn't nearly as high a quality as those bracelets." Ino answered. "That collar let some chakra slip through; must have been enough to keep her healthy."

"Why would Hotaru agree to wearing those bracelets if she knew it meant that she couldn't heal herself?" Tenten asked.

"Because she wanted one aspect of her life that she controlled." Shino retorted. "After years of having to endure a fate she did not want, Hotaru could finally decide the course her life would take."

"But, to get sick like this, in the prime of her youth -" Lee muttered.

"It was her choice. No matter what we would have done to convince her otherwise, Hotaru would have still made this decision." Shino replied.

Yamato listened to the young shinobi talk as he watched the hallways for his charge. Naruto eventually returned with the Akimichis, but there was still no news about the girl. Mrs. Akimichi was barely able told hold herself together, and left to cry in the restroom multiple times.

It was two in the morning before doctors wheeled a hospital bed into a private room down the hall. Yamato saw the flame red hair of the girl under his protection as a nurse pushed the bed. Silently, the ANBU stalked over to the room to stand guard until she woke.

* * *

*** Koinu means puppy.**

**Also, thank you everyone who has followed/favorited, wrote a review, sent me a PM, or just continued to read this. You have all been so encouraging and I really appreciate your support!**


	28. Chapter 28

Ino walked past the ANBU guard and into the Hotaru's hospital room. She was holding a pot of white flowers, but stopped when she saw Choza sitting next to Hotaru's bedside. He stood upon the blonde's entrance, blocking Ino's view of the girl.

"Oh! Excuse the intrusion, Lord Choza. I can come back later." Ino spoke as she turned to leave.

"It's quite alright, Ino. I see you have brought flowers." The large man uttered kindly.

"Yes, Sir. They're white heather. In the language of the flowers, these are a symbol of protection from danger. I thought Hotaru could…" The Yamanaka girl couldn't finish her sentence despite herself.

"That is very thoughtful of you. Thank you, Ino." Choza stepped aside, revealing the young Akimichi woman. Shiromaru was curled at the foot of her bed, despite the doctor's protests. His large head was resting gently on Hotaru's legs, but was staring at Ino. The gasp and wheeze of a ventilator kept the otherwise silent room noisy.

It had been three days since the star festival, but Hotaru had yet to wake up; slumbering deeply in a coma. Her doctors had managed to unblock portions of her chakra system, enough to keep her heart functioning, but she still could not regulate the helpful life force throughout her body. The ventilator that she was connected to kept her breathing, while a shunt placed in her lungs kept the bloody fluid from building up again.

"The doctors are saying she may never wake up." Choza stated as he ushered Ino to Hotaru's bedside. "The lack of chakra in her system in combination with the blockage has done irreparable damage to her heart and lungs. Lady Tsunade believes Hotaru may have also suffered some brain damage from the blockage. But we won't know that for sure until she wakes up."

"Do they know -"

"How to heal her completely?" Choza interrupted. "No… It seems the only chakra she's been truly responsive to is what little she had managed to store. Even if she wasn't in the coma, the majority of her chakra system is still blocked and she wouldn't be able to regulate or mold the amount she needs to heal herself… They don't think she will live much longer, let alone have hope that she will wake up."

"I'm sorry, Lord Choza." Ino sympathized with the only surviving member of her father's team.

"Don't be, Ino. Hotaru came home to us, and I can finally say that if fate has determined that we shall be without our Lightning Bug, I will let her go again. She has suffered too much in this lifetime. It's time for her to find some peace.

* * *

Naruto sat on the hospital roof, staring at the open window across the courtyard. He could see Ino talking with Lord Choza. The blonde girl placed a small pot of white flowers near the window. He watched as Ino gently stroked Hotaru's fiery hair then retreat further into the room.

"Oi, Naruto." Kurama spoke inside of his head. "How long are you going to watch the girl?"

"As long as I can." Naruto grumbled. He did not like that even though Hotaru was in a coma, he was still banned from being with the girl. "…Thank you, Kurama." He spoke suddenly.

"For what?"

"For reminding me that I can share chakra that easily. If it weren't for you, Hotaru could have died."

"Looking at her now, she would have been better off."

"Why would you say that?"

"There is a battle waging in that girl; one of life and death. If she dies, you and your friends will grieve, but she will finally find peace. If she wakes up, there will be no peace for that troubled mind."

"What are you talking about?"

"What caused her illness was not entirely the chakra suppression's fault. She has been on the path that has lead to her coma for quite some time. The bracelets merely sped up the process."

"Stop talking in riddles and tell me what you mean."

"Those scars on her neck, the ones carved into her skin, they create no ordinary seal."

* * *

The sun was starting to wane in the west, throwing Shino's wooded home into a deep gloaming.

Fireflies could be seen in the forest. Their brief glimmer of light danced for a mere second before being extinguished in the darkness. A strong hand fell upon Shino's shoulder. The somber man looked to see his father standing above him.

"Some believe that fireflies represent the impermanence of life." Shibi stated as he watched the lightning bugs in the distance.

"Others believe they are a symbol of the souls of the dead." Shino countered.

"What do you believe?"

"I believe my friend is dying. Like these fireflies, her light will extinguish after far too short a glow." Shino removed his shades and pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. He had cried only once in his memory, the day his mother died. He had only been three when she passed away, but her death hit him hard. She had been the light and laughter in both his life and in his father's. No one made him feel the warmth his mother gave him until Shino became friends with Hotaru. She was so much like his mother that he felt a pull towards her like gravity. Shino needed someone like her in his life.

But the last three days had been a wave of one emotion after another. He would feel anger, or grief, then joy at his memories with her, then sadness. He had cried at least 7 times in the three days since he helplessly watched Hotaru coughing up blood in her backyard.

"I believe in impermanence. All things must come to an end in their time." Shibi looked into his son's mismatched eyes. One black eye and one green eye stared up at him.

* * *

Choji sat on Hotaru's bed, looking around her barren room. They had not had the chance to replace everything she had broken. Weeks had passed, but he had still yet to talk to his best friend. Choji wanted Shikamaru here, analyzing everything they knew, trying to figure out a way to help save Hotaru.

Choji felt guilty. He did not want the last thing he heard Hotaru say was her pleading with him to stop fighting with Shikamaru. Even worse, Shikamaru was not there to hear anything she had to say. He hadn't spoken to the girl since she had been detained. Had it really been a month since Shikamaru had last seen her? And now, because of their stupid disagreement, the poor Nara boy may never get to talk with her again. He took some insane mission in the capital that was supposed to keep him away until kami knows when.

_'Has anyone even sent him a message?'_ Choji thought. _'Normally I would be the one to tell him of these things, but with everything that had happened and his mission, Shikamaru couldn't possibly know about Hotaru's condition.'_

"I'm an ass." The Akimichi said aloud. He and Shikamaru had made Hotaru worry about them. He had taken her focus off of her recovery and placed it on himself. He had driven Shikamaru away, and was happy about it when the Nara male left Konoha for the foreseeable future. How could he have been so selfish?

"Choji?" His mother's voice pulled him out of his self-pity. "Your genin are here to see you." Three young faces popped out from behind Mrs. Akimichi. They all looked somber, but their timing made the distressed man laugh.

"Choji-sensei," A young Hyuga boy spoke. He was about to continue when the only girl on the team cut him off.

"We heard about your sister, and…" The brunette girl said, "we wanted to let you know that even if you can't come train with us, we will work extra hard to make you proud."

"Not that we don't want you to train with us!" The third genin yelled. "Just that, she's your sister, and if you need to take some time off -"

"I got it." Choji stated with a chuckle. "I don't deserve such a wonderful team." Choji was getting choked up, but forced back his manly tears. "I need a distraction… How about I treat you all to barbecue?" He asked. The Akimichi really did need a distraction.

* * *

Visiting hours were over. Lord Choza had been forced to leave the Akimichi girl for the night, but Shiromaru had been allowed to stay. The large dog hopped languidly from the bed and strolled over to the door. He scratched at the wood until the ANBU opened it. The masked man said nothing as he looked down at the dog.

"I don't see the point in standing out there," The large dog barked at the cat mask. "when what you really want is to see her."

"I have duty to fulfill."

"In case you haven't noticed, but no other ANBU has come to relieve you in the last 24 hours. There is no mission when it comes to her anymore. She is no longer a threat."

"Until I receive word from the Hokage telling me otherwise, I will remain here."

"You care about the girl?" Yamato said nothing. "If you care about Koinu, you should say your goodbyes now. Pretty soon that ventilator will not be enough to keep her alive, and when that time comes, you will not be able to have a private moment alone with her. You are not family, you are not one of her friends. You are her ANBU guard. And as good natured and as kind as the Akimichi are, you will not be important enough to their perceived relationships with the girl to warrant your own goodbyes."

The large dog turned back into Hotaru's room and jumped up onto the comatose girl's bed.

"How can I have my private goodbye if you are here listening to me?"

"Someone has to stand guard over Koinu." The dog laughed. Yamato said nothing as he entered into the room. Shutting the door behind him, the ANBU walked to the girl's bedside and sat in the chair her uncle had used all day. Deciding that he was already breaking his mission parameters, Yamato removed his mask and set it gently on his lap. Strangely, Yamato could think of nothing to say.

He didn't even know what he wanted to say. The man stood up and walked to the sink in the far corner of the room. He filled a glass of water and returned to Hotaru's bed.

"In case you need it when you wake up." Yamato whispered, setting the glass on her bedside table. Gently and with reverence befitting a god, Yamato stroked the girl's hair. The ANBU returned his mask to his face and walked out of the room, resuming his post just outside of her door.

* * *

Kakashi was sitting in his apartment, reading his favorite copy of Makeout Paradise when a knock at his door regretfully pulling his attention away from his favorite passage. The grey-haired man contemplated ignoring whoever was at the door until he heard her voice.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked through the door.

_'What is she doing here? None of my team ever visits.'_ He thought as he lazily strode to his front door. "Sakura! What brings you -" He had started off jovially opening the door with a cheery greeting, but stopped when he took one look at her face. She had been crying profusely. Her pale green irises shone like emeralds against her reddened eyes. Remnants of tear trails ran across her cheeks while she tried to wipe her snot away from her nose. "What's wrong?"

"It's all my fault, and I don't know who else to talk to." She admitted - to what Kakashi did not know - trying to stave off anymore crying.

Kakashi ushered Sakura inside. "What is your fault?" He asked as she stood awkwardly in his spartan living space. The room constituted his living room, dining room, and kitchen with one door leading to his bedroom and another to his bathroom. There was a single love seat and a table and chairs; this was the extent of Kakashi' interior design prowess. Sakura threw herself onto the love seat with a 'humph'.

"Hotaru." She replied solemnly. Kakashi took a step forward, standing off to the side of the sofa. He said nothing, deciding it would be better to let the pink haired girl speak at her own pace. "I was the one who recommended that the Hokage use chakra suppressants on Hotaru. I saw her wearing a chakra collar in one of her memories, and I thought… If I had known about her special needs for her chakra, I would have never even suggested it, but now… She's dying, and it's all my fault, Kakashi-sensei. Wh-What am I supposed to do?"

Kakashi understood why the girl had come to him instead of Tsunade or even Shizune. Sakura knew the guilt he had felt over both his teammate's deaths. She knew how much he had blamed himself, especially for Rin's death. She wanted absolution for her perceived crimes. She wanted to know how to make this accident hurt less.

"Honestly, Sakura," Kakashi sighed, "Not even time can heal these kinds of wounds. They will hurt less given the proper time, but the pain will never really go away. I still wake up in the middle of the night with the need to wash my hands that are stained by Rin's blood. You didn't know how this idea of yours would play out. And that's exactly the point; you didn't know. It may not seem like it helps, but knowing that this outcome is an accident -"

"It only makes it worse!" Sakura yelled. "It's an accident that could have been avoided. This shouldn't ever have happened! but it did all because I -" Sakura was cut off by Kakashi pulling the pink haired girl into an embrace.

"Accident or no, it was ultimately Hotaru's decision to put the bracelets on. She knew what the consequences of her actions would be. You are not at fault, Sakura."

* * *

Shikamaru sat in the Intelligence headquarters of the Fire Country's capital. He had been sent in on a mission that put him deep undercover. His mission was an attempt to find and and gather intel on the inheritors of the gambling ring that had held Hotaru captive. Tsunade had received information that one of the long time subordinates of the ring leader lived in the capital. He was to get close to the man and weasel his way into the kingpin's good favor. Shikamaru had volunteered for the mission a little less than a month ago.

Things had been going well for him during these last couple of weeks. He had managed to set himself up as a big spender who liked to bet on dangerous and illegal sport. The more violent a game, the better. The Nara had been able to gamble his way into his mark's outer circle, dancing on the man's periphery as a potential new client to bring into the gladiator arena. But now he sat in a detention center, shackled to a chair, waiting for some inquisitor to show up.

_'Man, this is such a drag.'_ He thought to himself. As soon as he did, a man with a surprising resemblance to Konoha's own Ibiki strolled into the room.

"Nara Shikamaru?" He asked.

"Never heard of him." Shikamaru replied.

"We received a message from the Hokage, Nara."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Shikamaru could not break his cover without a codeword given to the man by the hokage herself. The interrogator pulled the sleeve of his shirt up, revealing the Konoha ANBU tattoo on his left shoulder.

"The hell you showing me your tattoo for?" Shikamaru asked. No codeword, no game.

"**Hitodama***." The inquisitor said. Shikamaru's entire attitude changed at the mention of his codeword. He relaxed into his normal, lackadaisical self.

"I'm listening." He replied as the man unshackled Shikamaru's arms and legs. The inquisitor said nothing as he handed Shikamaru a scroll from within one of his pockets. The red wax of the Hokage's seal glared at him. He ripped open the scroll and stared down, horrified by what he read.

The scroll held three sentences:

_Hotaru in coma. Will send word when condition changes. Do **not** return._

Shikamaru silently rolled up the scroll and handed it back to the Konoha ANBU.

"You'll have to detain me a while longer. And add that I was arrested for suspicion of illegal gambling to my cover's record."

"I know how to handle an undercover mission." The inquisitor stated bluntly. "You will be released in two days… Think you can get by without any bruises?" If Shikamaru walked out of the intelligence headquarters without a little ruffing up, some may become suspicious as to why.

"Nah. Probably should leave a couple. Better make it convincing." Shikamaru replied. A swift punch landed just under his right eye. The inquisitor hit his face harder than he had been expecting. The Nara groaned and stood to face the man. "Did it have to be the face?"

He laughed before replying, "What, you got some girl you need to look pretty for?" The intimidating man left the room, leaving Shikamaru alone with his berating thoughts.

_'Dammit!'_ His mind scolded his self. _'You should have said goodbye to her when you had the chance. You're an idiot…'_

Shikamaru sat down and began the longest wait of his life. The sooner he would be released, the sooner he could resume his mission and go home.

* * *

***Hitodama is a human soul that has left a person's body. It takes on the form of a glowing orb. The belief that fireflies represent the souls of the dead come from the concept of hitodama.**


	29. Chapter 29

"Granny Tsunade!" Naruto yelled as he burst into the Hokage's office. It had been a week since his chat with Kurama, but he had been unable to see or get a message to the Hokage in that time. Hotaru had stabilized, but despite the fact that her doctors did not feel her end was immediate, they were still sure that the probability of her ever waking up was less than one percent. But today, Naruto was determined to speak with the Hokage. Hotaru couldn't wait anymore.

"Naruto?" She asked, jumping from her desk in shock and surprise from his outburst.

"The seal on the back of Hotaru's neck, have you examined it?"

"Of course we did. What is this about?"

"Kurama. He told me that the seal had some form of chakra bound inside it."

"Of course there was chakra bound inside of it. That's how they were able to keep Hotaru imprisoned. The person who sealed her put some of his own chakra into the seal to make it as powerful as it was."

"But, if she broke the seal, and left the arena, why is there still chakra inside it?"  
"A seal like that can't be broken easily. As long as the person who sealed her is alive, the chakra they infused into the seal keeps her bound to them. Once he died, the seal broke. But because they carved the seal into her flesh, it can never be fully broken. A piece of his chakra will always be sealed inside of her scars."

"Why couldn't Hinata detect the difference in chakra patterns?"

"The amount left in the seal is minuscule, it would have been overpowered by Hotaru's chakra. The seal itself would have bothered her - probably itched like hell - because the foreign chakra was still stuck. But Hotaru's chakra would have kept it under her control."

"And, what would happen to a person, who could never fully break a binding seal, if the chakra keeping the residual effects of the seal powerless, was suddenly suppressed?"

Realizing what Naruto was implying, Tsunade stood from her desk and called for her assistant. "Shizune! Send word to the capital. Bring Nara home."

"Lady Tsunade, Shikamaru has followed his target to the Land of Wind… Until he sends us another mission report, we have no way to contact him."

"I don't care if you have to use smoke signals, get him back here." Tsunade yelled before barging out of her office. Naruto followed the woman to the hospital, passed the ANBU, and into Hotaru's room. Shiromaru was curled up at the girl's feet while Sakura was looking over Hotaru's IV bag.

"Lady Tsunade?" Sakura asked, tearing her focus from the IV. Yamato followed Naruto and the Hokage into the room.

"What is the meaning of this?" He asked, trying to pull Naruto out of the room.

"Leave him." Tsunade commanded. "Sakura, help me lift her."

Sakura did as she was told. As the two women sat Hotaru upright, mindful of her shunt and ventilator tubes, The pink haired girl asked, "What is going on, Lady Tsunade?"

"The seal, we need to pull the chakra out of it."

"But, you said the seal was harmless. There wasn't enough chakra left in it to -"

"I was wrong. It was harmless, until I made her put those bracelets on. Once her chakra was suppressed, the chakra that was left over from the seal slowly took over her body and blocked her chakra network system. The only way to unblock it completely is to remove what's leftover from the seal." Tsunade explained as she examined the seal on Hotaru's neck.

"But, Lady Tsunade, you can't do that here!" Sakura howled at her master.

"Idiot-child!" Tsunade raged at Sakura. "I'm not so careless as to remove her chakra here and now! I need a couple days to prepare. Hotaru's condition is stable for the time being. ANBU, inform the sealing specialist from your unit that I will require his assistance in 3 days.

* * *

Shikamaru sat in a pub in a village about one day's journey outside of Sunagakure. After being released from his supposed detention in the Fire Country's capital, he was able to make contact with his target and convince the man that he was interested in 'investing' in a game worth his money. Seeing this as an opportunity, the target brought Shikamaru to Wind Country, where the man who had taken over for Yoshiro had set up a new arena.

"Aoki," the target said to Shikamaru, using his cover name. "When we get to the facility, we will be taken directly to our private box where we will watch the show."

Shikamaru nodded. All color left his face as he looked up toward the door. A familiar face that he did not want to see walked in and made eye contact with him. Shikamaru tried to hide his shock and slight embarrassment as a blonde girl with four spiked pigtails walked toward the booth.

"Hello, Aoki!" She greatly cheerily with her silky, cat-like voice. Shikamaru did not answer.

_'What the hell is she doing here!?'_ The voice inside of his head was screaming.

"Who is this?" The target asked Shikamaru, fury bubbling just under the surface as he tried to remain calm.

"I'm Emiko." Temari answered brightly. "Aoki is my fiancé." The blonde sat down next to Shikamaru, gracefully taking hold of the man's hands.

"You brought your fiancee?" The man asked. His anger could no longer be contained.

"Don't worry, Haru. She knows not to interfere with my investments, right?" Shikamaru was also on his tipping point.

"Of course!" Temari smiled sweetly. "I make a point of never getting involved with Aoki's business dealings. Besides, the topic business investments are beyond dull." Shikamaru had to admit, Temari was a pretty good actress. Playing such a complacent, bubbly girl must have been killing her on the inside. "But, if would excuse the interruption to your meeting, I need to discuss some family issues with Aoki."

"Oh…" Haru sighed with slight confusion. "I'll just be over there then." He pointed to the bar while exiting the booth.

"What's up?" Shikamaru asked as he brought his face close to hers. He feigned nonchalance, but every fiber inside of him was screaming from the stress he felt being near her. If Temari was here, knowing his cover and adapting to it, something was terribly wrong.

"How did you know I was here?" He whispered, pretending to kiss her neck.

"We received a message from Tsunade. Told us why you were in Wind. Gaara has heard rumors of some kind of gambling den here for a couple months. Figured it was worth the risk to send me."

"What does the Hokage want?"

"All the message asked was that you return to Konoha." Shikamaru froze, before pulling away from Temari in a solid jerk.

"What did it say exactly?" If Haru was watching, Shikamaru would have seemed like the calm, collected man he knew. But Shikamaru's voice told a completely different story. He was nervous, scared even. Temari had only seen him like this once in the years that she had known him. After the failed mission to bring Sasuke home to Konoha, and Choji was in the hospital possibly dying from using those pills of his; that was the only time he had ever become unhinged around her. If he was acting like this now, Temari knew he was fearful of her reply.

"Um.." She whispered, trying to remember the message., "Conditions have changed. Abort immediately."

"That's all it said!?" He was truly angry now. "Not even if she was better or not?"

"Shika- …Aoki, what is going on?"

"I need to go." He tried to flee the booth, but Temari caught him.

"Look, I'm the last person in the world who wants to talk to you right now, but tell me what's going on."

"Not here. I have to go!" Shikamaru pulled Temari out of the booth and walked hurriedly to the bar where Haru sat.

"I'm sorry, but my sister has had an accident and is in critical condition back in the Land of Fire. As much as I would love to discuss our business dealings in greater detail, I'm afraid I'm needed back home." Shikamaru lied.

"Shall I accompany you?" Haru asked, trying to intimidate the two shinobi from leaving. Haru could sense that something was not right with the girl's sudden appearance and within two minutes, his new 'investor' needed to leave. He felt as though he were being played.

"No, that's quite alright." Temari answered. Haru took hold of her arm, and pulled the girl away from Shikamaru.

"Boss would be quite displeased if I let his new investor leave so suddenly."

"Then, I'm afraid your boss will have to deal with his displeasure." Temari growled before grabbing hold of Haru's hair and slamming the man's face into the counter. He hit with such force that he was instantly knocked unconscious.

"You didn't have to do that." Shikamaru scolded the woman as they left the pub. They were running to the inn Shikamaru was staying in to collect his personal effects before he would flee from the village.

"And you didn't have to break up with me, but here we are." She replied sardonically.

"We're not talking about this now."

"Fine. If we won't talk about that, tell me why you're getting called back to Konoha."

"Choji's sister is in the hospital."

"Sister? You mean that cousin of his that disappeared?" Temari asked, thoroughly confused. She knew Choji had no siblings, but had heard mention of a family member of his that had gone missing. Shikamaru didn't like to talk about her, and so she never learned the full details of the girl's disappearance.

"Yes. She was found after escaping from the gambling ring your country is currently hosting."

"So, her condition has changed and the Hokage is calling you back." Temari mused. "Why, though? Yeah, Choji's your friend, but she's not _your_ sister. And after the way you ended things with me, I doubt she's your girlfriend." Temari laughed, but she saw him flinch at the mention of a romantic relationship with the girl. "You're dating her!?" Temari was furious. "You break up with me because 'relationships are too troublesome', and no further explanation, but this bitch shows up and you're all over her!?"

Shikamaru turned on his ex-girlfriend, fury seething through him. "One: I was trying to protect you by breaking up with you. We still live in a shinobi world, and either one of us could die at any moment -" She tried to cut him off, but continued to speak over her. "Two: Hotaru is not some bitch. She is a strong, insane, amazing woman who means more to me than I can ever explain. She was around long before you, and my feelings for her will be with me until the day I die. Hotaru is currently in a coma back in Konoha, and if I have received a message telling me to come back 'immediately', it means that she is most likely dying. And no, I am not dating her. She is in love with someone that I could never be able to compete with. But, just so we are clear, don't ever insult her again, do you understand?"

Temari silently nodded. She stood in her place as Shikamaru entered the inn to collect his belongings. When he came outside, Temari was gone.

Shikamaru ran as fast as the lazy boy could manage. At his current speed, it would take him four days to get home.

His voice of reason and logic was arguing with the emotional inner voice.

"What if I don't make it in time?"

_'You don't know that she is dying, Shikamaru.'_

"Why would the Hokage call me back if she wasn't?"

_'She could have woken up and is asking for you.'_

"Do you really believe that? Do you really think a mission of this magnitude would be aborted simply because a girl in a coma asked for me?"

_'Just because the Hokage called you back doesn't mean Hotaru is dying. Do you really think she would let herself die without saying goodbye?'_

"How many people actually get to say goodbye?"

_'Shut up. Just get home.'_


	30. Chapter 30

Lord Choza sat outside of the operating room. Only his wife, Choji, and he were allowed to wait there. Everyone else had to sit outside the ICU waiting room until the procedure was complete.

Tsunade had assured the Akimichi head that the procedure itself was harmless. "What will put her in danger," She had warned him when asking for his permission to operate on Hotaru, "is that we have to suppress her chakra signature again."

"What do you mean?" Choji asked.

"She means that we will have to put those bracelets back on." Sakura explained. "Even though Hotaru's chakra isn't circulating through her body, the signature that her natural chakra gives off overpowers the foreign chakra. We have to suppress it in order to isolate what is leaking out of the seal."

"Because the wristlets have been removed, what little chakra she is able to produce is stopping the invading chakra from doing anymore damage. However, the second we put a suppressant back on her, the sealed chakra will have free range over her body. Sakura and I will have to work extremely fast to remove that chakra before it can wreak anymore havoc on her system." Tsunade looked somber as the Akimichis listened to her. All eyes rested on Hotaru.

"If you do this, what is the probability that she will wake up?" Mrs. Akimichi asked, unable to look away from her niece.

"Best case scenario, there's a fifteen percent chance that she will wake up. But, with the foreign chakra gone, Hotaru's system will be able to start repairing itself. Given time, chance of her waking up could potentially increase."

"It's better than nothing." Choza's wife looked at him with pleading eyes. The Akimichi nodded his head in approval.

"Do it." He sighed. His hand cupped the girl's cheek, thumb running across the lightning bolts on her face.

* * *

Naruto was pacing around the waiting room, mumbling to himself. The others tried to ignore him, but his nervousness was slowly spreading to all of them.

"If this is what you're like for someone having surgery," Ino laughed, "I can't wait to see what you're like when you become a father."

"How long have they been in there? They've had to be in there for an hour already, right?" Naruto asked, jumping front of the wall clock.

"They are supposed to start in five minutes." Tenten replied.

"They haven't even started yet!?" Naruto moaned, dropping his head to his chest.

"How about we do 500 laps around the village?" Lee suggested. " We can train and burn off this nervousness at the same time."

"No. We need to stay here." Naruto defiantly sat down in a chair.

"Is Shikamaru coming back?" Hinata voiced quietly. "Naruto said they were trying to find him, but…"

"He'll be here." Shino declared. "That's because -"

"We already know why, Shino." Ino interrupted.

* * *

It was dark, wherever she was. She was laying on something soft, but the sound of a woman crying in the distance forced Hotaru to keep her eyes shut. She was scared. It was a funny feeling, being scared. After everything she had been forced to endure in her life, she thought she would have been a little more brave than this. But the sound of a woman crying made Hotaru curl into the fetal position and refuse to move. What if whatever made the woman cry was coming for her? No, it was best to stay here, eyes closed, unmoving. If it was as dark as Hotaru imagined it being, whatever was out there would have to have eyesight based on movement, so as long as she stayed still, she would be okay.

She didn't know how long she had been in this place, but Hotaru was sure that wherever she was, time meant nothing. The last thing she remembered was hugging Shiromaru in her back garden. She must have passed out at some point, but when she woke up there was nothing but darkness. Hotaru didn't know where she was, but it couldn't have been in Konoha. There was no place in her village that would have allowed for such an absolute, black space.

Every now and again, Hotaru would hear a distant voice, sometimes it sounded like her uncle, other times she thought it was one of her friends, she even thought she heard her ANBU speak once. The sounds would dissipate as soon as she heard them. Other times, she thought she felt something rub against her hair or face, or there was an light weight pressing down against her feet. But again, the feelings were gone as soon as they were felt. The phantom feelings and voices scared her more than the darkness could ever have.

Hotaru shivered in her fear. She wanted to open her eyes and go home. But she was too afraid of what she might see if she did.

"Quit jiggling." A male's voice spoke. He sounded half-asleep and highly annoyed. Hotaru knew that voice. It had a lazy drawl that she would have known anywhere. Her eyes flew open to see a dark haired man laying next to her. Despite the fact that his hair was not in its pineapple ponytail, and his back was turned to her, Hotaru knew the slender body next to her was Shikamaru.

"Shika?" Hotaru nervously asked as she reached out to touch him. Just as her hand was about to reach him, Shikamaru spoke again.

"Hotaru, if you're going to sleep here -" He cut himself off as he turned to face the girl. He was looking right at her, but seemed to see through her. It was as if he didn't see her at all.

"Shikamaru?" She whispered, reaching out to touch his face. After a confused moment, Shikamaru looked down to the foot of the bed they were laying on. Hotaru followed suit.

Sitting at the foot of the bed was the woman Hotaru had heard crying. Except, that woman was Hotaru. The Akimichi sat in confused silence as she watched herself cry. The crying Hotaru ran her fingernails across the back of her neck, breaking the skin and allowing blood to freely flow from her.

"Hey." Shikamaru sat up and reached his arm out toward the crying Hotaru. "What's the matter with you?"

"…This is a memory. This is the night I told Shikamaru…" Hotaru mumbled to herself. She watched as the dark-haired boy tried to comfort her crying self. The crying woman had started pounding her hands against her head, but Shikamaru forced her to stop.

"What am I doing here?" Hotaru asked, swinging her legs off of the bed. When her foot touched ground, the floor felt surprisingly spongey. She recoiled, pulling the foot away from the floor. Peering over the edge to see what she had touched, Hotaru noticed that it was still a normal, wood floor with nothing on it.

Hotaru looked over to the two people on the end of the bed before setting her foot down. Once again, the floor felt soft, and seemed to squish under her. She pushed herself off of the bed to see the floor beneath her feet was in fact grass. As her eyes scanned the length of the room, new grass grew from the cracks in the floorboards until the entire room was covered.

"What?" Hotaru bent down, running her hand along the green substance. It was short, well manicured grass that started gently swaying as if caught in a breeze. Hotaru stood up to look over at Shikamaru, but the bed and two people on top of it were gone. The entire room she had been in had vanished. A light gust of wind caught her hair as she turned in a circle, trying to puzzle out where she was standing. It was dark. Nighttime perhaps? Hotaru stopped spinning when she saw the stone.

Her gravestone stood before her, dully reflecting what pale light there was. Hotaru jerked her head up, seeing every stone in the Konoha cemetery surrounding her. The Akimichi took a step toward the gravestone, and bent down to touch it.

"What is going on?" She asked, fingers tracing her engraved name. The only time she had come to the cemetary was to say goodbye to her team. Hotaru placed her fingers along the scars on her neck. "I asked Shino about a bug bite..."

"Maybe you'll ask me what?" A deep, rich male's voice asked from behind Hotaru. She spun around to see her bespectacled friend staring at her. He stood silently, waiting for her to reply. This was another memory, the other Hotaru would respond and the memory would play itself out. But there was no other Hotaru.

"Shino?" Hotaru took a step towards the man.

"Yes?"

"Why isn't the memory playing out?"

"Your memories are the easiest way to tell you."

"What?" Hotaru did not understand. "Tell me what?"

"Your brain is trying to relay a message to you."

"What message?" Without warning, the image of Shino vanished, leaving Hotaru alone in the abandoned memory. "Shino!" She ran toward the spot he had been standing in. As soon as she reached the place he had occupied a second earlier, Hotaru's neck started burning.

"He is coming." Shino's voice whispered in her ear.


	31. Chapter 31

Hotaru stood alone in the cemetery, trying to figure out what was going to happen next. She had started to walk toward the exit, but the graveyard seemed to be extending on and on forever. Hotaru started running, panic-stricken and afraid that she would never escape the endless rows of the deceased.

She stopped running. Hotaru braced her hands on her knees as she attempted to catch her breath. She felt as though she had run miles, trying to find a way out of the cemetery. Hotaru looked down at the gravestone standing next to her. Her name glared back at her from the stone.

"Hello?" The Akimichi yelled into the night. Knowing no one would answer her, Hotaru continued to call out to anyone. A sudden flash of light caught her eye. Turning to see what it was, Hotaru saw a swarm of fireflies congregating around another grave. She cautiously walked toward the dim light the insects gave off, stopping in front of the stone.

She looked down at the grave to see the name of her former teacher, Katayama Osamu, carved on it. Hotaru wanted to touch the stone, but the feeling of being watched grew on her. Looking up, a pair of large, green eyes were staring at her. The owner of the eyes was mere inches from her face.

"Hello, Hotaru." The man uttered. The girl let out a yelp and stumbled backwards. "It's okay. Don't be afraid." He helped her back up to her feet.

"Osamu-sensei?" The young jonin smiled at her, before running his fingers through her hair. Osamu ruffled the long tresses just as he had when he had been alive.

"You've grown to be quite beautiful, Hotaru… And tall." He said sweetly. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Osamu began guiding Hotaru away from his grave. They were walking in the same direction she had been running, but a large forest slowly came into view. The pair continued to walk in silence as they entered the woods.

"Osamu-sensei?" Hotaru finally worked up the courage to speak.

"Yes?"

"Shino told me someone is coming… Who?"

"The man who put you into this coma." Osamu answered bluntly.

"Coma?" Hotaru half yelled at the man. "I'm not in a coma."

"Hotaru, you're talking to man who has been dead for seven years. You're in a coma."

"Okay… Then, who put me here? Who is it that is coming?"

"That," he said with a twinge of remorse, "I do not know. All I know is that I have been sent here because you trust me and will listen to my message."

"What's your message?"

"You must survive. No matter the cost, you must survive."

"What if… What if I'm tired of surviving?"

"Do you want to die, Hotaru? Because if you truly want to die, if you see no potential future for yourself, then let yourself. There is nothing I can say that will convince you otherwise. But, if there is even one tiny piece of you that thinks, in time, there will be something worth living for, I beg you to survive."

"I'm not worthy of a future, Osamu-sensei. I've taken away too many people's futures to be given one of my own." Hotaru said solemnly as she stopped walking.

"If you die, it will not be only your future that you take away." Osamu murmured. He sat down on a log and looked up at the girl. Osamu lovingly took hold of his favorite student's hands.

"What do you mean?" Hotaru was guided by her sensei to sit next to him.

"After you wake up, in two years time, you will be married. Three years after that, you will give birth to twin boys. They will look exactly like their father, but they will have your red hair and yellow eyes. The boys will graduate from the academy at the age of 9, become chuunin by the time they are 11, and both will be jonin by the time they reach 17. The elder of the two will become an ANBU - one of the best Konoha has ever seen, better than even Kakashi. The younger one will become the seventh Hokage when he reaches 27 years old. He will continue to foster the era of peace and tranquility created by his predecessor, Uzumaki Naruto. After your youngest becomes Hokage, your husband will retire from the ninja life. Once he retires, the both of you will be appointed to the village council, and the two of you will spend the rest of your days, happily aging into quite some advanced years. He will die before you, but within four months you will join him in the afterlife. If you die now, Hotaru, you will take the entire village's future with you."

"That's not true." Hotaru snorted at the dead man. "There's no way anyone could know that is going to happen."

"I'm dead. I know lots of things the living have yet to see." Osamu joked.

"You're in my head. My brain conjured you to help me cope with being in a coma."

"You could look at it that way." Osamu postulated. "Or, you could survive long enough to wake up and prove that the future I have predicted is wrong."

"Besides, who would want to marry me?" Hotaru laughed.

"Oh, I could think of quite a few young men who would devote their lives to you. A couple old men, too. Hell, if I were still alive, I would even be in line to court you. I mean, look at you. The gods were kind when you went through puberty." Osamu waved his hands in the air, carving out an hour-glass shape in front of him.

"Pervert." Hotaru giggled, playfully pushing the dead man away from her. Osamu looked longingly up to the darkened, starry sky.

"I have to go soon." Loneliness clung to his words. "Before I do, know that I am proud of you, Hotaru. You may believe me to be a figment of your imagination, but even so you have grown into a beautiful person. You can disagree with me all you like; tell me you have taken lives and lived a bloody existence, and you have. But, even with all of that, you are still the girl I was proud to have as a student." He stood up from the log, pulling his student with him. Osamu threw his arms around the young woman, and pulled her into a tight hug. "Goodbye, Little Hotaru."

Hotaru tightened her arms around her sensei, only to find herself hugging air. Osamu was gone. "Goodbye, Sensei." Hotaru whispered. She looked up to the sky, but no stars shone above her. When she looked from the sky, a river began to flow in front of the girl. Unsure of what else to do, Hotaru followed the river's edge. Slowly, the riverbank rose to form cliffs on either side of the water.

Figuring that the river was what she was meant to follow in this strange dream, Hotaru stepped out on to the flowing water. She had never actually walked on water before. She understood the concept and had put it to some use during her time in the arena, but was unsure of herself as she made her way across the liquid ground.

Becoming confident in her ability to walk securely on the river, Hotaru started moving again. She didn't know why exactly she had been afraid to walk on the water. This was in her mind, after all. She could fly if she wanted to, right? The laws of physics did not bind her to reality inside of her own mind.

Just as she thought this, Hotaru's body fell through the watery surface. Plummeting further and further down inside of the river, Hotaru lost the ability to breath. She tried to pull herself to the surface, but nothing seemed to make her limbs cooperate with her. Giving up resistance against the water, Hotaru let herself fall further into the depth of the river. It quickly became too dark to see. The Akimichi squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that this icy world would soon dissipate.


	32. Chapter 32

Hotaru woke with a start, forcing herself to sit upright. She was breathing heavily, trying to take in as much air as she could after falling into the river. Hotaru looked around her as a familiar setting came into focus. She was sitting in the dojo she and Hajime had trained in. Her chakra blade bō was lying in her right hand. The girl tightened her hold of it and began to prop herself up when a pair of solid hands pushed her back down.

"Hold on. You just came to, give yourself a minute." Hotaru looked to the man who held her shoulders. A smile spread across the young woman's face at the sight of her lover squatting in front of her. Four fingers gently swept her left cheek.

"Hajime?" She breathed out his name in a rush of air.

"Who else would it be?" He said with a slight laugh. Hotaru threw her arms around the man, pulling him forcefully into her embrace.

"I never thought I would see you again." She whispered. He tried to pull out of her arms, but she held fast. Hotaru wanted to hold on to him until the end of her days. The large man gave up trying to free himself, and returned the hug. His hand gracefully swept across her spine, trying to comfort her. The feeling of holding him in her arms caused her to cry. She let out a ragged breath. Hotaru's mewling forced him to pull away from her embrace.

"What's wrong?" He gently swept her hair behind her ear. Concern snaked across his face while he rubbed the tears from her cheeks. His left thumb hovered over the scar on her cheek.

"You died, Hajime. You died in my arms."

"I know. I'm sorry I had to put you through that." His forehead gently collided with Hotaru.

"I escaped. I managed to get back to Konoha. I've been there the last couple of months, but I'm in a coma…" She greedily grabbed at every piece of him that she could hold. His face, hair, arms, chest, everything needed to be felt by her wanton hands. Hajime gently took hold of her elegant fingers. He kissed the pads of her fingertips. Hotaru's next question caused him to stop his gentle display of affection. "Is your name really Tsuyoshi?"

"Yes." He let her fingers drop from his hands.

"Were you really working with Yoshiro?" As if in pain, Hajime's eyes hammered closed. He nodded his head 'yes'.

"Did I mean anything to you?" Hotaru's voice was thick from swallowed sobs. The large man's eyes earnestly opened, and stared into her large yellow orbs. She turned her head away, unable to look at the liar.

"Of course you did, Hotaru." Hajime took hold of her face, forcing her to keep eye contact with him. "Hotaru, I won't lie to you anymore, before you came into my life, I was a thief and a murderer. And Yoshiro and I ran this arena together, we were business partners. But, then a Mist Hunter Nin found me when we were setting up shop in the Land of Fire, and he took everything away from me, and bound me to himself, not the complex like you had been. I could never be more than a couple hundred yards away from him. Yoshiro made me one of his prizefighters. He thought making me fight would be a good enough punishment, but that night when we found you; you became my punishment. I was to train you, mentor you, and then watch you die in the arena. I tried so hard to keep my distance from you, not to care about you. But you - You kept weaseling your way in. No matter what I did, you would look at me with those big, yellow eyes of yours… And you became my redemption. I thought that, so long as I kept you alive, as long as I trained you and protected you, all of my past sins would be washed away.

"When Yoshiro put me in that arena with you, I loved you too much to hurt you. I know it was selfish of me, but the thought of hurting you - of killing you… How could I kill what had brought me peace? I'm sorry I lied to you, Hotaru. I'm sorry that I was so selfish that I left you when you couldn't follow me. Please, forgive me." Hajime buried his face in Hotaru's hair. "Please?"

"I will always forgive you." The Akimichi woman pulled away from the large man. He gently kissed her. Even in her mind, he stilled smelled like salt. Hotaru smiled into the kiss.

"I love you, Hotaru." He sighed against her skin.

"Awe, how quaint." A familiar voice spoke behind the pair. Despite her familiarity with this voice, the malice that hung on his words made the speaker foreign to the young woman. Hotaru could not place it, but she knew that voice from somewhere in her distant memory. The two lovers turned to see a man Hotaru had not seen since she was 17 years old.

"Tendo?" Hotaru asked. Without warning, Hajime stood up, shielding the young woman from the deceased medic. "What are you doing in my head?"

"I can't join in on the reunion?" The man laughed.

"I killed you and sealed your chakra away… How are you here?" Hajime inquired.

"See, unlike you, I have a right to be here, Tsuyoshi. My chakra still flows through her. Doesn't matter if you took what was in my body, what was sealed in those scars will always remain." Tendo slowly skirted around the pair. He reminded Hotaru of a predator on the prowl.

"What is he talking about?" Hotaru glanced between the two men.

"The seal on your neck had his chakra bound inside of it, so to amplify the effects. When he died, the real seal broke, but because the chakra was stuck in the scars, if you ever left the complex, it would take over and attack your body; killing you. But, he didn't factor into account that you had the chakra of two powerful bloodlines to stop the process. The rate at which his chakra was attacking you, you would have been in your late seventies by the time the effects would have shown up. The process was sped up because of those damned bracelets you wore. I thought that if I sealed away the chakra he had possessed, it would have rendered anything outside of the sealing urn impotent."

"Unfortunately, you're a moron." Tendo laughed. "The only way to stop the inevitable would have been to kill her, you gigantic ass."

Hajime lunged at the former medic. His solid fist landed a heavy blow against Tendo's left eye. The medic stumbled backwards, but there was no sign of the hit on his face. "That's enough of that." Tendo pushed Hajime to the ground, but his bulky body never hit. The moment Tendo's hands touched the large man, he vanished.

"What did you do?" A growl issued from Hotaru's chest as she pushed herself from the ground. She threw her body into Tendo, her head colliding with his nose. Tendo easily flipped the girl onto her back and pinned her with his body.

"You have no power over me, you little runt. We may be in your head, but I have control." With one hand, Tendo pinned Hotaru's wrists above her head, the other pulled a knife from the medic pack on his hip.

Hotaru spat at the man. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She was trying to act arrogant and composed, trying to be the killer she knew she was, but no matter what she did, she could not fight him. She felt as if every ounce of her strength was slowly leaving her body.

"Those Konoha idiots out in the real world decided to put chakra bracelets back on. Without your own chakra to keep me in check, I can do whatever I feel like and you can't stop me." Tendo drew the knife to Hotaru's face, allowing the sharp blade to lightly dance along her skin. "This is going to be fun…" He giggled before slicing a line across her left cheek.


	33. Chapter 33

**This chapter is going to jump between the real world and the one in Hotaru's head a bit. Sorry if its confusing.**

* * *

"She's going into shock." A nurse called to Tsunade.

"We _just_ put the bracelets on…" The Hokage mumbled under her breath. She motioned to the ANBU sealing specialist to come forward. "Isolate the areas with the highest concentration of the foreign chakra." The ANBU nodded, activating her Byakugan.

"Highest concentration is currently above the left Pulmonary Artery." The ANBU stated. Sakura jumped into action. She placed her hands above Hotaru's heart. A yellow glow emanated from her, activating a barrier around the destructive chakra.  
"Next cluster is flanking the Primary Bronchi of her right lung." Shizune was next to step forward, placing her hands above Hotaru's lung.

"The third and fourth clusters are gathered around her Parietal Lobe and Hippocampus." Tsunade placed her hands on the top and back of Hotaru's head, creating the last of the barriers.

"Is this all of them?" She asked the ANBU.

"There are smaller clusters that will join together once we pull out the larger ones. They will start attacking as soon as the large clusters are out." The masked woman replied.

"How is she?" The Hokage asked the nurses.

"Stable for now. Once you extract the barriers holding the clusters at bay, her system may try to crash again."

"Alright. Team Two, as soon as Team One pulls the foreign chakra out, you step in and place barriers around the next set of clusters. Ready?" Tsunade asked her team. Both Sakura and Shizune nodded in response. "Go!" Tsunade shouted as the three women began the extraction process.

* * *

Hotaru was wailing in agony. No matter how many times Tendo cut her, stabbed, or filleted pieces of her skin, the damage merely grew back; creating an endless playground for him. She just wanted the pain to stop. She wanted to fight back, but her body had betrayed her; it lay useless against his attacks.

Tendo was about to begin another barrage against her, when he tumbled backwards. Falling from his perch on his chest, the man looked at Hotaru with shock and contempt. Hotaru could feel her legs twitching, life was slowly being drawn back into them. "How did you do that?" The brute stood up, towering over the crying woman. "What did you do?" His knife plummeted into her chest. Hotaru screamed, agonizing shockwaves writhing through her entire body.

* * *

"We're loosing her!" A nurse yelled.

"Team Two!" Tsunade yelled. She was holding a cluster of blue chakra between her hands, carefully guiding it to a sealing urn. "Get your barriers under control!"

"Yes, Hokage." The team of doctors replied, strengthening the chakra barrier.

* * *

Despite the pain she felt from constantly being torn to shreds only to rebuild herself, the feeling of life that had started in her legs now twitched in her arms. She could not yet move them completely, but she had been able to snake her fingers around her bō. Tendo was too absorbed in his sadistic game of mutilation to notice the weapon in her hands.

"Did you know," Tendo laughed as he threw a piece of flesh from his knife. "I was the one who got to play with your team the night we found you? I had so much fun with them. The tall genin - what was his name?"

Hotaru refused to answer. She tried to sew her mouth shut by biting her lips, but Tendo saw through that. He dug his forefinger and thumb into a deep cut on her shoulder, just above her collar bone. She howled at the feeling of his fingers wiggling inside her wound.

"Name, please?" He asked politely.

"Takeshi." Hotaru whimpered as he removed his fingers.

"Thank you. Takeshi was quite the screamer; didn't have as high a pain tolerance as you. I only got to cut into him a little before he passed out. Damn kid blacked out three times before I was done with him. Kept having to wake him up. Konoha brats are soft, let me tell you. You lot would never pass for shinobi in Kirigakure. The other one, the one that was all talk and no action, he surprised me. Held out for quite awhile before the blood loss forced him out of the game. Well, blood loss and I opened up his chest cavity. That thing is pressurized like you wouldn't believe; make a wrong move and lungs deflate, instant respiratory failure. I saved that sensei of yours for last. Made him watch as his precious little babies were taken from him. He wasn't fun though. Didn't even scream when I cut his ear off… Of course, he had no tongue, so -" Tendo shrugged apathetically.

"You sick bastard!" Hotaru cursed him. She spat a mixture of blood and saliva at the man.

"Language! Ladies should never say such things." Tendo peeled off a piece of flesh from Hotaru's stomach. There was a pang in her arm, causing it to jerk involuntarily. Tendo didn't notice; he was to busy examining the remnant of the seal on her ribcage.

"See, Hajime did this one. But, he didn't put any chakra in it, hence why you broke it so easily. Always, _always_, put chakra into a seal. It makes it stronger, and you get to have fun like this if someone breaks it." Tendo looked up from the seal to gaze into Hotaru's eyes. But his face was met with the weighted end of her bō. Tendo flew from her hips, landing hard on the dojo floor. Hotaru stood up on wobbly legs, trying to be as intimidating as the broken girl could manage.

"I've had enough of you." she hissed at the medic.

* * *

The ANBU recoiled in shock as she told Tsunade where the next cluster of charka was.

"What is it?" What's wrong?" Tsunade implored the masked woman.

"Hotaru's chakra just flared up by itself."

"What?" Sakura asked, holding her barrier above Hotaru's spleen. "How is that possible? She's got the suppressants on…"

"How much of a flare?" The Hokage asked.

"It's gone now. It was just a short burst, around her heart."

"Then let's keep working. Next cluster!" Tsunade commanded.

* * *

"How are you doing this?" Tendo asked, backing away from the angry woman. "I am in control."

Hotaru swung the bō down, hitting Tendo in the groin. "Obviously not."

She was still unstable on her legs, but Hotaru managed to balance long enough to deal another blow to the man. She jutted the weapon from her body, jabbing Tendo in his clavicle. The force needed to strike Tendo was too much for her jellied legs. Hotaru began to stumble. She suddenly stopped when Tendo took hold of her bō.

"You think you can fight me? This is my world!" He shouted at the girl.

"No." Hotaru defiantly retorted. Using whatever strength she had, Hotaru imbued a minuscule amount of chakra into the weapon. There wasn't much, but it was enough to let loose the hidden blades.

* * *

"She did it again!" The ANBU yelled as Team Two and her subordinates prepared to extract the chakra clusters.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"Her chakra signature flared up. This time, long enough to attack one of the smaller clusters."

"And?" Shizune asked.

"The cluster is gone." The masked woman took as step forward, trying to get a better sense of Hotaru's chakra flow.

"What should we do?" Sakura inquired. "If her chakra is starting to react -"

"As long as her chakra doesn't interfere with our procedure, we continue as planned." Tsunade barked.

* * *

Tendo let out a short howl as the chakra blades impaled his hand. He tried to let go of the weapon, but the blades were stuck in him. Hotaru yanked the bō to the floor, sending the medic toppling down. Hotaru was quickly gaining strength, despite the fact that she still felt wobbly on her feet.

The young woman released the chakra blades from their hold on Tendo. She stepped on his injured hand that refused to heal.

"You are in my world. This is my mind, my body. And you are not welcome here." She snarled before ramming the bō against tendo's skull.

She barely had enough chakra in her to infuse into her weapon, but she didn't care. If she died here, Tendo would go with her. The devious blades sprung to life again as Hotaru drew her bō for the kill. Just as she was about to bring death down upon the man, Hotaru faltered, falling backward and onto the floor.

Cradling his injured hand, Tendo began laughing maniacally. He picked up the bō. It took him only a few seconds to figure out how to make the weapon work. The blades leapt from their wooden bed, ready to strike at their owner.

* * *

Team Two had successfully removed their second batch of clusters. Tsunade and her team were waiting for their round.

"There is one cluster on her esophagus, and one along the duodenum." Sakura let loose the yellow barrier around Hotaru's stomach. "Third cluster is in the trachea." Shizune was about to create her barrier when the ANBU caught hold of her hands. "Remove the bracelets!" The ANBU ordered.

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"Just remove the bracelets!" The Hokage did as she was told, sending a current of chakra through the metal wristlets. "Sakura, release your barrier as well."

What's happening?" Shizune inquired.

"There is a build up of Hotaru's chakra. It's starting to break down the blockages in her chakra network." The ANBU replied as she watched a growing mass of chakra begin to spread throughout Hotaru's system. The helpful blue life force moved slowly, but each cluster of foreign chakra it encountered was quickly defeated. "How is she doing this?" The masked woman watched in astonishment as Hotaru's chakra levels grew. She still had a dangerously low amount, but it was enough to fight off the invading element.

* * *

Tendo swung the bladed bō down on a crash course towards Hotaru's head. She sneered at the man. The blades stopped centimeters from her face before repelling the wooden weapon back towards Tendo. He was able to drop the bō before it could strike him. Hotaru caught it, thrusting the blades into Tendo's calf muscles.

"Hajime made this for me." Hotaru explained. She pulled the knives from his leg. "He made it so that it would protect only me. See, If you were to threaten me with this, it will rebel and attack you instead. What these blades do is they can detect my chakra, and will react to it. And, I'm sure you felt it, just now? The sudden release of my chakra overtaking yours? It's not much, but its there. I won, you son of a bitch." Hotaru spun the bō in her hands. With a fluid swing, Hotaru brought the blades plummeting into on tendo's skull.

* * *

"It's gone…" The ANBU muttered.

"What is?" All three of the female medics asked.

"The foreign chakra. It's gone."

"And her chakra system? Is it clear?" Tsunade asked.

"For the most part, yes. There are still blockages, but with the sealed chakra gone, it'll be cleared in no time."

"Then it was a success?" Sakura looked hopefully to her master.

"I won't call it a success until she wakes up, but, you can if you'd like." Tsunade stated bluntly. She was not willing to get her hopes up that Hotaru would wake anytime soon. "Come on, Sakura. We need to inform the Akimichis of what happened."


	34. Chapter 34

As soon as Shikamaru had entered the village, he made his way straight to the hospital. It was the middle of the night, but he had managed to get from the village in the Wind within the four days he had predicted. Shikamaru had received no news about the girl or what had become of her in that time.

To say Shikamaru was a wreck would have been an understatement. Four days alone with nothing but his thoughts of a potentially dying girl had wreaked havoc on his emotional well-being. But, no news was good news, right? If he had not heard anything about Hotaru, then she had to be alright. She had to be.

Shikamaru walked in to the hospital and immediately cut to reception. "Akimichi Hotaru? What room is she in?" He asked the woman on duty.

"I'm sorry, visiting hours are between -"

"I just traveled four days from Wind, nonstop, on summons from the Hokage. It is troublesome and too much work for my liking, but in this instance, visiting hours do not apply to me." He brusquely commanded. The nurse looked as though she was going to rip his face off with her bare hands. She did not like being talked to in such an insolent manner.

The nurse was about to berate the young Nara, when a friendly voice spoke from the hallway, "It's alright, I can take him to her." Shikamaru turned to see Sakura's pink head.

"But, visiting hours -"

"Let it slide this once." Sakura pleaded kindly, taking hold of Shikamaru's arm and directing him into the hospital. Shikamaru said nothing as the two stalked the hallways. "Would you like me to fill you in on what's happening with her?"

"Yes."

Sakura quietly explained the sealed chakra, the procedure to extract it, and Hotaru's ability to produce chakra despite wearing the bracelets. "We think," Sakura whispered, "that once we started drawing the dominate pieces of the foreign chakra out, her system was able to start responding, and healing itself. Why it did that with the suppressants on is what we can't figure out."

"She has chakra control that could almost rival Naruto and has probably been able to build up reserves outside of the Calorie Control's usage for years. Once you started eliminating the chakra that was killing her, those reserves would have started to activate and help heal her system."

"But, they shouldn't have been able to. No matter how powerful a person's chakra may be, once they put on a suppressant, that's it. They've got nothing left to mold."

"She always was more powerful than we gave her credit for. Maybe the reason the bracelets worked the first time was because the sealed chakra had already done some damage that we didn't know about, weakening her chakra reserves. But, like you said, once you started taking away the most vicious parts of the foreign chakra, Hotaru's reserves where able to start functioning again. Working independently of any chakra that she would have consciously molded."

"I guess that could happen. Stranger things have, like how invested you are in her." Sakura giggled.

"Sakura…"

"I'm not saying you two should get married and have babies - although your children would be adorable. I'm just saying that it's nice to see this side of you, Shikamaru. It's nice to know that there is something in this world, besides Shogi, that isn't 'troublesome' or a 'drag'."

"Hotaru is most definitely the most troublesome thing in my life." Shikamaru stated bluntly.

"Is it because she really is troublesome or because you care about her?" The pink-haired girl asked, stopping in front of a door. "She's in there. I'll let you have some privacy."

The hospital room was dark. With the curtains drawn, it was almost too dark to see. The light from the open doorway illuminated the foot of the solitary bed, where a large white dog was sleeping. The giant hound lifted his head at the rude awakening and looked directly at Shikamaru. What struck the boy most about the dog was not it's wolfish appearance, but his yellow eyes. They were the same cadmium yellow shade as Hotaru's eyes. The Nara male cautiously stepped forward. He closed the door behind him, throwing the room back into its pitch blackness.

"Who are you?" He asked the giant beast.

"I am Shiromaru, ninken of Koinu."

"Koinu?"

"Hotaru; my Mistress' koinu. You are Nara Shikamaru?"

"Yes… How is she?" Shikamaru sat in the chair nat the bedside. His eyes slowly adjusted enough to see the darkened outline of Hotaru laying on the bed. She was breathing on her own. That was a good sign.

"The Hokage said she is stable, that her chakra is repairing the damage done by the seal on her neck. But, we do not know if she will wake. All that we can do is wait." The dog softly placed his head back down on Hotaru's feet.

"I see the ANBU detail was taken off of her."

"She is no longer considered a threat to the village. The Hokage dismissed the Cat shortly before they extracted the sealed chakra. He was not happy to go. That ANBU is almost as loyal as an Inuzuka ninken."

* * *

Hotaru stood on a wooden bridge, overlooking the Naka River. The young woman watched an eternal sunset descend upon the stream. Time did not move in her head. Whatever she imagined would unfold before her eyes. She had run through the forest on a moonless, winter night, only to exit the woods and sit atop the Hokage Monument and watch clouds lazily float through an April sky. Wherever and whenever Hotaru wanted to go, she merely had to step towards it.

The oranges and golds of the sunset shimmered happily in the reflection of the river. Hotaru laid down on the bridge and looked towards the darkened sky. Purples and deep blues twisted and mingled against the golden sunset, casting Hotaru in a cacophony of color. The young Akimichi sighed as she listened to the silence of the world around her.

She did not know how long it had been since she had killed Tendo, but no matter what she did, Hotaru was not able to leave the world inside of her head. Quite frankly, she didn't know how to leave. It wasn't like waking up from a dream. No matter how hard she tried to push her mind toward reality, it fervently fought back. If she fought with herself hard enough, Hotaru would loose consciousness. Time had no meaning inside of her mind; she could have been asleep for an hour or fifty years. She did not know.

"You will have to wake up eventually." A quiet voice spoke from the riverbank.

"And how do you suggest I do that?" She asked, turning to look at him. Hajime stood in his yellow yukata, smiling at the girl on the bridge. He slowly walked over to her and sat down. Hotaru shifted her body so that her head lay in her lap. "Besides, if I wake up, I'll never see you again."

"Some things are more important than I am, Hotaru." Hajime ran his large fingers through her fiery hair. "There are people waiting for you. Real, living people who need you to wake up. Choji, Shikamaru, your aunt and uncle, Shino… they are all waiting for you."

"It hurts to live in a world without you."

"I know. But you have to let go. You have to move on and live your life, Hotaru. You have to wake up."

"I've tried. Nothing I do works."

"Come with me." Hajime lightly pulled the young woman to her feet. The pair jumped from the bridge, landing solidly on the river water. Holding on to Hotaru's hand, Hajime lead her out into the middle of the river. "This is my gift to you." He smiled at the girl before taking her face in his hands. Hajime lightly kissed her thin lips. "Goodbye, Hotaru."

The large man let go of the woman, vanishing a second later. Hotaru took a step toward the spot he had been standing. Once her foot touched the water, she lost control of her ability to stand, and plummeted into the dark waters. Unlike the last time, Hotaru did not struggle to pull herself to the surface. She merely closed her eyes and let the water guide her.


	35. Chapter 35

Despite her mightiest efforts, Hotaru's eyelids felt heavy as they refused to open. Eventually, the young woman won the battle and slowly opened her eyes. The room she was laying in was dark, but the faint light of the morning sun was beginning to illuminate the space about her. The ceiling and walls were white, and she could smell a heavy scent of antiseptic.

_'Am I in the hospital?'_ She thought to herself. There was a slight weight barring down on her feet. The girl's head was to still to heavy to lift after coming out of her deep slumber, but she could see a large, white, furry mass at the foot of her bed. 'A dog, maybe?' The large creature let out a small yip from a puppy dream. Hotaru smiled. _'Shiromaru,'_ she silently mouthed the dog's name.

Hotaru's eye's fluttered to the window. The curtains were drawn, but they had been separated enough for Hotaru to see the eastern sky. The sun was in the beginning stages of dawn, casting a light, grey haze across the world. She didn't notice at first, but as her eyes adjusted to the world outside of the window, she saw white specs gently floating throughout the air. The small specs danced soundlessly as they fell to earth. The girl lay in her bed, confused by the white substance. The sight seemed vaguely familiar, like she had witnessed it in a long forgotten dream.

_'It's snowing…'_ Hotaru's mind informed her, finally connecting the dots. _'Why is it snowing?'_ Before she could puzzle out the answer to her question, the sound of snoring pulled Hotaru's attention away from the window. A man sat in a chair at her bedside, slumbering soundly. Every now and a gain, a soft snort would escape him. Hotaru had never seen this man in her life. He had short, brown hair that was partially covered by his happuri forehead protector that shaped his entire face. The neckline of his collar stopped at his chin, giving the stranger a rectangular looking head. Even with his eyes closed, Hotaru could tell the man had large, almond shaped eyes. To Hotaru, the sleeping man looked quite stern and stoic, but his eased, sleeping face called only one word to her mind; kindness. The sleeping man wore the standard ANBU uniform, and as her eyes scanned the sleeping man and the room about her, Hotaru caught sight of the mask laying on her bedside table. A red and green cat mask sat next to a glass of water.

"ANBU?" Hotaru's voice groggily croaked from disuse. The noise cause the dog at her feet to stir. The large hound lifted his head, meeting Hotaru's stare.

"You're awake." The wolfish animal spoke. There was a twinge of shock intermixed with his delight. He had not expected the young woman to ever wake up. Shiromaru gracefully leapt from her bed, licking her fingers before nudging the ANBU awake. He restlessly stirred before shooing the dog away.

"I'll take you for a walk in a minute." The sleeping man groggily spoke.

"You may want to get up now. Hotaru -" Shiromaru retorted, refusing to cease ramming his head into the man's thigh. The ANBU's hurriedly sat up, eyes flying open to look at the girl, stopping to dog from speaking. Fear rested unabashedly on his face; afraid that something had happened to her in the night.

Hotaru's yellow eyes fell on the large, black orbs of the ANBU who protected her. "You… You're awake."

"Who are you?" She asked. Her voice rasped from disuse.

"I, uh, I'm…" He was uncertain how to respond. His eyes flickered hesitantly to his mask. Yamato could not decide if he should put on the mask or not. He was technically no longer assigned to the girl, she would be allowed to know who he is. But, at the same time, he still felt highly responsible for the girl, as though his assignment to her had not ended. Why else would he break into the hospital when he was not away on a mission? Ever since he had been taken off his post from her, Yamato would sneak into her room, and watch over the sleeping girl until dawn.

Shiromaru was perfectly capable of watching over her, but he lacked thumbs. If something were to happen in the middle of the night, how could the dog open the door and get help? It hadn't occurred to the ANBU that he could just bark to get someone's attention.

"This is Yamato." Shiromaru spoke after a pause too long for his liking. "He was the ANBU assigned to guard you."

"I should really go inform the Hokage that you've woken up." Yamato replied, taking hold of his mask and exiting the room.

"What happened? Why is it snowing?" Hotaru inquired, looking to the dog for answers. She unsteadily pushed herself into a sitting position. Hotaru did not understand how it could be snowing. She wracked her brain, trying to process this information. She remembered nothing of reliving memories inside of her mind, Osamu's visit, or her fight with Tendo. The last moment she could remember was hugging Shiromaru as he pledged his loyalty to her.

"It would be best if you wait for the Hokage." The dog said as he leapt back up to the foot of her bed.

* * *

Yamato returned with Tsunade and Naruto in tow. Sakura quickly followed behind them.

"Lady Tsunade, what happened to me? Did I hit my head? The last thing I remember, it was just August, and now it's snowing." Words rushed from Hotaru's mouth before she had time to think about what she was saying.

Tsunade stepped forward, taking a seat next to the Akimichi's bed. "Hotaru…" her voice was glum. "You've been in a coma -"

"A coma!?" She asked in disbelief. Her voice was starting to sound normal again. "How long was I in a coma?" She asked, looking back to the snowy scenery. The people in her hospital room fell silent at Hotaru's question. The girl looked back at them, trying to figure out why they were quiet. "What's wrong? It's snowing, so it could have only been a couple months…" Yamato and Shiromaru exchanged a guilty glance behind Naruto and Sakura. "How long was I asleep?" She asked, fear growing inside of her.

"It's been three years." Sakura quietly answered. Hotaru could feel the blood rush from her face and her heart sink with the pink-haired girl's reply.

"What!?" The girl yelled at the four other people in her room.

"Do you remember getting sick?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes. I put those chakra bracelets on, and got sick because I couldn't use the Calorie Control Jutsu anymore."

"That's part of why you got so sick so fast." Sakura explained. "But… What put you in the coma, was the seal on the back of your neck." Hotaru listened intently, staring unfocused at the wall, as the two female medics explained Hotaru's condition to her.

"So, because I put those bracelets on, what should have taken years to kill me only took a couple weeks? And I've missed three years because of it?"

"Yes. Tsunade solemnly stated. "It's taken three years for you chakra system to heal. While your body was healing itself, we had medics and doctors in here daily, pumping medicinal chakra into you to keep you from getting sick again. We've been doing everything we could to get you to wake up for the last three years."

"A lot has happened in the last three years." Naruto finally chimed in. He had been quiet up until this point, which was surprisingly out of character for the pesky blond.

"You're Hokage now, aren't you?" Hotaru asked, looking to the blond man. He smiled at the girl and nodded.

"How'd you know?" Naruto asked with a sly glimmer of happiness.

"For one, you're here. If you weren't Hokage, why would you have come back with Yamato?" Naruto laughed at her comment.

"I see slacking off for three years hasn't made you an idiot." He giddily remarked. Sakura was about to scold the boy, when Hotaru's laugh made her stop. It was the high-pitched cackle that was her true laugh. Not the snort or chuckle that she had been prone to when she returned, but her pure laugh. This was the Hotaru of old.

Shiromaru had noticed it immediately upon waking up, but the humans did not have the same senses as he did. The darkness that Kiba had noticed - that void which claimed every piece of her - was gone. All that remained inside of the young woman, was a golden light of a peaceful and pure soul. Tsunade and Sakura had pulled the darkness out of her, one cluster of chakra at a time. And though she did not remember it, Hotaru herself fought to bring her life back to the light it had once known. The happy, harmless girl was back.


	36. Chapter 36

Choji came bounding through the doorway with all of the grace of a caged bull. The large male frantically spoke as he ran into the room. "I received word that Hotaru -" He was cut short by the woman leaping from her bed, throwing her arms merrily around her cousin.

"Brother Choji!" She exclaimed as they fell to the floor upon Hotaru's impact. Choji hit the floor hard, knocking the wind from his lungs. He sat upright, trying to catch his breath, but Hotaru clung to the man with every fiber of her being. She did not understand why she needed to embrace him quite so fervently, but Hotaru could not hold herself back. Something about the sight of her adoptive brother gave Hotaru the need to hold on to him.

"Hotaru, give him some room to breath." Sakura said as she tried to pry the tall woman from her cousin. Hotaru reluctantly let go of Choji, choosing to remain on his lap. Once the elder Akimichi finally caught his breath, Hotaru's arms were wrapped tightly around his neck again.

"I'm happy to see you too!" Choji jovially remarked as Hotaru rested her head against his shoulder. She took in the sweet caramel scent of her cousin, savoring the feeling of being home in his comforting embrace. There was a slight twinge in her nose as she noticed a new layer to her cousin's scent. It was a hearty, flower scent that Hotaru had never smelled on him before. The smell wasn't one of his one, but rather a trace of someone else on him.

"Orchids?" She whispered trying to place the new addition. She had placed the scent, but to whom it belonged puzzled the girl. She knew somewhere in her memory was a person that smelled specifically of orchids, but her three year slumber was hindering her memories.

"What?" Choji pulled away from the girl. He looked puzzled by Hotaru's words.

"You don't smell right. I mean, you still smell like you, but there's orchids. That's someone else's scent. It's all over you, your hair, your clothes…" Choji's cheeks flushed at the mention of having someone else's scent on him. He quickly looked away from Hotaru as if embarrassed by some fact.

"It's, uh… It's probably my, erm… My wife." Choji hesitantly admitted.

"Your… what? Who?"

"Umm…" Choji looked bashfully away. "Ino."

"Ino?"

"Believe it! it surprised us all, you know?" Naruto laughed.

"I missed your wedding…" Hotaru's gazed dropped to the floor. She felt absolutely heart broken by the news of Choji's marriage. Not that she didn't feel happiness that he had found someone to live his life with, but she was disappointed that she wasn't there to see it happen.

* * *

Hotaru sat in the Akimichi home, staring out the window at her snowy back garden. To her, it had only been a couple days since she sat outside on the veranda listening to the village celebrate the Star Festival. But, three years had passed since that day. Hotaru quietly scanned the veranda, remembering everyone's exact positions. Shino had stayed near the door; Naruto and Hinata sat on the grass in front of Hotaru's chair; Choji had stood next to her while the Yamato stood behind her; the rest of the group congregated throughout the porch.

There was a dark stain on the wooden floor, around the place where Shiromaru had been. Hotaru wondered what had made it in the three years she had been gone, not knowing that it was the place where she had coughed up gobs of blood - her family had never been able to get the stain out no matter how hard they tried.

"Hotaru?" Ino's voice reverberated throughout the silent house. Choji was training with his team, while his parents were on holiday at a hot springs. The young Akimichi woman turned to look at the blonde standing in the doorway. Ino held a tea tray as she quietly entered the room. Hotaru graciously accepted the warm tea, turning her attention back to the wintry world outside of the window. The two women sat in awkward silence, unable to think of how to talk to one another. They had never been particularly close, and now that Ino was family, Hotaru had no clue what to say to her.

"Choji told me you brought flowers to the hospital for me." Hotaru's attempt at small talk was weak, but at least it broke the silence.

"Yes, I thought the flowers would help." Ino replied kindly. She was about to speak again when there was a knock at the front door. Hotaru was slightly relieved that there would be someone else at the house to break the silence. After a moment, Ino returned with Hinata in tow.

"Hello, Hotaru." She happily mumbled. A child's head popped out from behind the introverted woman. The boy was maybe two at most, with spiky blond hair, and pale, pupil-less eyes. The child took in the sight of Hotaru, before promptly returning behind his mother's legs. "This is Neji." Hinata forced the small child out of his hiding place. He looked exactly like Naruto, with the exception of his eye and lack of whisker markings on his cheeks.

"You and Naruto must have gotten married not to long after I fell into the coma." Hotaru said after waving to the small boy. He frantically tried to hide himself behind his mother again.

"About two months. It wasn't anything too spectacular." Hinata replied. She quietly moved into the heart of the room and sat down across from Hotaru. With the skill of a mother, Hinata picked up her child and set him on her lap in one fluid swipe.

"And you named your son after your cousin?" Hotaru smiled. She knew loosing her cousin had been hard on Hinata. Neji had become her brother and biggest ally by the time he had passed.

"Yes. Naruto wanted to name him after the man who gave his life for us to be together… If we had had a girl, she would have been named after you." Hinata shyly admitted. The quiet girl looked hesitantly over at Hotaru. She did not know what reaction she had expected, but the look on Hotaru's face was not what she had wanted to see. There was a certain disgust that played across her face.

"Then I am glad you had a boy. As honored as I am that you would make me your child's name sake - and I am, I'm over the moon about it - I would never wish my name or my life as the legacy to which a child was born. Nothing but misfortune and bad luck follow me. I am not someone to name a child after…" The room fell back into it's awkward silence. "But, enough of my self pity. Tell me everything! I want to know everything that has happened in the last three years."

"Well," Hinata pondered her response. "Naruto and I got married, and had Neji. Shino is now the head of his clan and engaged to an Aburame woman, Ayame is her name. She's a nice girl; a little bit more talkative than Shino, but still quite stoic and somber. Lee and Kiba have their own genin teams now - they've had their teams for a little over a year. Both of which are away on a joint mission. Tenten is a member of ANBU now, so we don't see too much of her very often anymore. But she still makes us have a girl's night every once in a while. And, Sakura is working full time at the hospital now. Ever since Naruto became the Hokage, Team 7 has officially disbanded and gone on their own paths. Sai is still in ANBU as well."

Hotaru nodded her head quietly, listening to Hinata's brief introduction to her three missing years. "And, Shikamaru?" Hotaru asked when Hinata had stopped speaking before all of her friends had been accounted for.

"Shikamaru is currently stationed outside of Konoha…" Hinata muttered. Hotaru couldn't believe that the girl could speak any softer than she did normally, but she was wrong. Hinata was almost inaudible as she spoke.

"Do you know where he is?"

"Shikamaru's been the political emissary between Konoha and Suna for the last two years. He left the Nara clan to be run by the elders until he comes back… But, at the rate he's been going, I don't know if Shikamaru will ever be recalled. He's very good at his job over there."

"He's always good at his job. It's what matters most to him." Hotaru mused, turning her attention back outside the window. Ino was about to say something, when a loud bark cut her off. Shiromaru was barking at the back door of the Akimichi main house, asking to be let back inside. Hotaru stood to leave the room before turning her attention to the child on Hinata's lap. "Would you like to play with my dog?" The small boy looked up to his mother for permission to leave, but bounded from her lap before she could answer. He took hold of Hotaru's hand and merrily walked with the tall Akimichi.

"Why won't you tell her?" Ino whispered as soon as the other woman was out of the room. She sat down in Hotaru's chair and stared incredulously at her dark-haired friend.

"Huh?" Hinata asked, looking confused. But Ino knew better. Hinata knew what Ino was talking about.

"Don't play stupid, Hinata. You didn't tell her why Shikamaru took that assignment and hasn't come back to Konoha in two years. She should know why he left."

"The only person who knows why he left is Shikamaru himself. Naruto didn't even send him, Shikamaru asked to go -"

"Yeah, because after a year - one year - of waiting for her to wake up, he couldn't cope. He lost faith, and just like last time we thought we lost her, it was easier for him to runaway than to deal with it."

"Don't be angry with him. We all lost faith that she would wake up at some point, Ino, and that changed all of our lives. Look at you and Choji, you two are married because he lost hope; Shikamaru was gone and you were the only one he could turn to. Tenten joined ANBU to hunt down the men who did this to Hotaru. Naruto was able to convince the Daimyo to increase a police presence around all known illegal gambling syndicates. Konoha's alliance with Suna has never been stronger because of the work Shikamaru is doing. The world is becoming a better place because we lost hope and are doing everything in our power to change that."

"Has Naruto at least sent word to Shikamaru that she woke up?"

"He did. The day she woke up… We haven't heard anything back from him yet."

"What?" Ino asked in disbelief. "It's been two weeks! How could he not even send a message back?"

"I don't know." Hinata mumbled as three figures entered the room. Hotaru walked next to Shiromaru who was carrying the young boy on his back. The Akimichi woman was laughing heartily at something the child had said.


	37. Chapter 37

Shikamaru sat in his small office in Sunagakure, staring that the papers laid out on the desk before him. It had been three weeks since he had received the first message from Konoha, but he still had not responded to it.

He had been receiving monthly reports from Naruto on Hotaru's condition for the last two years. At first, Naruto would go into detailed descriptions of the little victories Hotaru's body was making; _a new section of her chakra system was clear, she was responding to medicinal chakra infusions, x-rays showed she hadn't suffered any physical brain damage._

Shikamaru would file the report away, and never think on it again. After a year and a half of no response from the Nara male, Naruto shortened the reports on her condition to one or two sentences. Usually _'Hotaru in stable condition. Chakra network improving.'_ Shikamaru liked these later reports more. There was less information in them, that gave him less to worry about.

Instead of spending time thinking about the girl that would never wake up, Shikamaru threw himself wholly into his work. Day and night were spent calculating and applying the best tactics to continue a shared peace between Konoha and Suna. It was a simple, trouble free life. And for the last year, Shikamaru could have even said he was happy in Suna.

There were days when he would miss his friends, two years away was a long time, but he knew if he returned to Konoha there would only be one place he would go. Shikamaru knew that he would sit in the blasted hospital room, unable to do anything but watch Hotaru sleep while the giant dog insulted him. The Nara male didn't understand why Shiromaru had not taken a liking to him. From the moment they met, Shikamaru felt threatened by the dog.

He had asked Kiba why Shiromaru didn't seem to like him, which his response was hearty laugh. "There's only three people in the world Shiromaru hasn't tried to bite or kill; my grandfather who was the Alpha when Shiromaru was born, Ashi who was his first mistress, and Hotaru who is Ashi's daughter. Do you know why that is?" Shikamaru shook his head. "Because Shiromaru knows the only people more dangerous than himself are those three. After seeing Hotaru's memories, hearing stories about my aunt, and knowing my grandfather, those three are not your normal Inuzukas; they are the Inuzukas of old, before we joined Konoha. Just like the dogs we train, our clan was once feral and dangerous, like a pack of wolves. We've become domesticated since becoming a part of Konoha, but every now and then, someone like Hotaru is born. Hotaru is a true Alpha, just like her mom and our grandfather. I get the title by birthright, but if she were to challenge me for the position, I would loose. I pale in comparison to how powerful of a leader she is."

Shikamaru tried to dispute this, claiming that Hotaru had never possessed any form of authority. "Having authority has nothing to do with being an Alpha. Didn't you ever notice it? How, as soon as she would meet someone, she had a way of wiggling into their heart? People love her the second they meet her. They're drawn to her like gravity. We all were: the Konoha 11, her teammates and Osamu, Hajime, even Yamato - She commands power and respect and loyalty. That's what being an Alpha is. Yeah, I'm lovable, but Hotaru… She's the sun, and we are all pulled in to her gravity."

But three weeks ago, Shikamaru received a message he never thought would come. Naruto's sloppy handwriting glared at him from the desk.

_'Hotaru has woken up. Sakura is keeping her in the hospital for observation, but Tsunade believes she has made a full recovery. We all know she would like for you to come back to Konoha when you have the time.'_

For the next week, Shikamaru received a new message almost everyday.

_'We never received conformation that you received my previous letter. Please, respond.'_

_'Hotaru will be released from the hospital tomorrow. She is still having a difficult time moving around after being in a coma for so long. Some of her muscles have atrophied, but is progressing rapidly in restoring their usefulness.' _

_'Shikamaru, I know you had a difficult time accepting Hotaru's condition, but she's really okay.'_

_'Hotaru is asking about you. What would you like us to tell her?'_

Shikamaru merely put the messages in with the other updates he had received about the Akimichi, and shut the file drawer. A week had passed with no letter. He thought maybe his friends in Konoha had given up on him. Two days ago, Ino sent him a scathing message that was surprisingly short.

_'You are an ass.'_ was all that the blonde woman wrote.

He understood why he was unable to respond to the news of Hotaru's waking. Shikamaru knew he should have felt relief and happiness that the girl was back. But, all that he felt was dread. She had the worst luck of anyone he had ever known. If it wasn't the fighting ring, or the sealed chakra, or the coma that was going to kill her, something terrible had to be coming that would finally do her in. He concluded that his best course of action was to distance himself from the unfortunate girl before her demise finally did come to her. He had lost her twice now, a third time would have been too much.

A quite knock on his door pulled Shikamaru's attention away from the letters he had received. He neatly folded them, placing them in his desk drawer before allowing the person to enter. Temari walked through the door with a scroll in her hand.

"This just arrived for you. It's from Konoha." She stated as she handed him the scroll. "Is everything all right? You've been receiving more messages from home than usual."

"Everything's fine, Temari." He stated calmly. Being around the Suna girl had been awkward at first, but after about a year of being together constantly, the pair had worked out their differences. He would have gone so far as to say they were friends again.

"Okay… But, if you need to talk about something -"

"Your door is the first one I'll knock on." Shikamaru smiled at the woman. Temari nodded her head appreciatively before exiting the office. The Nara male waited a couple minutes before opening the scroll. He was met by a neatly scripted letter.

_Shikamaru,_

_From what everyone has told me, the last couple years had been particularly hard on you. I don't blame you for taking the assignment to Suna. You needed to get out of Konoha; to get away from a reality that hurt too much. If it had been you or Choji in that hospital bed, I probably would have done the same thing. _

_And, I understand why you haven't responded to Naruto's messages. What is there to say that everyone hasn't already told me? That you had prayed for this day or that even though you may have lost faith, you never gave up hope? Because as nice as those statements are, we both know they aren't the truth. I wasn't going to wake up, and you all knew it. So, you moved on with your lives in the ways that you could. You've made a life for yourself in Suna, and I hope that you've found happiness there._

_I hope that someday, you will be able to respond to this letter and tell me everything that has happened with you. I don't care how troublesome you find a detail of your life, I want to know about it. The good times, bad times, whether or not you found a girlfriend (please tell me you have? Two years is a long time to be alone in a foreign place), how much you miss the greenery of Konoha, or how troublesome it is having to dump sand out of your sandals every five minutes. I don't care what you talk about, just talk. _

_Until then, I'll await your response._

_Love,_

_Hotaru_

Shikamaru rolled up the scroll and put it in his desk drawer. He stood, stretched his arms above his head, then left his office for the night; locking the door behind him.

* * *

Two months had passed since Hotaru had awoken. She had several doctor and therapy appointments that had kept her busy, but as far as any of the professionals could tell, Hotaru was adjusting well after her three years of slumber.

"How are you doing?" Naruto asked as she was ushered in to the Hokage's office.

"Still can't get over the fact that you're finally the Hokage." Hotaru grinned at the hyper man. "I'm very proud of you." Naruto's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. His hand shot to the back of his head, where he scratched awkwardly, breaking Hotaru's gaze.

"Aww, well, you know…" he mumbled. Despite his cocky attitude about most things, Naruto still couldn't handle compliments very well. "Anyway…" He tried to regain his composure, "How would you like to be assigned a mission?"

"I can't be assigned any missions." Hotaru stated, confused by his offer. "I'm no longer a kunoichi, remember?"

"This is less of a job for a shinobi, more of a job for a civilian."

"You're not making any sense."

"I need an assistant of sorts. It's a position that can only be filled by you." Naruto paused, waiting for Hotaru to ask him a question. When she remained silent, Naruto continued, "I'll be going to Sunagakure in about a week to meet with the Kazekage to discuss what is to be done with a gambling syndicate that has started operations outside of the hidden village -"

"And you need me why?"

"We have reason to believe the people running this operation are the ones that took over the ring that held you… They're Yoshiro's heirs, so to speak."

Hotaru's stomach plummeted to the floor. She wanted nothing to do with those men. "And you want me to help you, how?"

"You will in no way be involved in coming in contact with them, if that is what you are worried about. What we need is for you to give us as much information as you have on how the ring is run, what, if any, kind of hierarchy is there, how do they bring in gamblers, how do they find fighters, things like that. I know that doing this may be difficult for you -"

"I'll do it. As long as I don't have to go near an arena, I'll do it." Hotaru stated. Her voice exuded confidence, but inside her heart was beating a millions miles a minute and her head was screaming at her to run away and hide.


	38. Chapter 38

The three days that it took to get from Konoha to Suna were quite enjoyable for Hotaru, despite the fact that she was forced to leave Shiromaru behind. Other Inuzukas were allowed to take their ninken with them everywhere, why couldn't she?

She and Naruto talked casually about a myriad of things while escorted by 6 ANBU members. Hotaru had thought the addition of so many ANBU superfluous, no one really needed that many guards, and it wasn't like Naruto couldn't handle himself in a fight. But she said nothing as the envoy made their way west.

Once they reached Sunagakure, however, Hotaru started to feel anxious. Not because of Naruto's plans to use her for information, but because of the way everyone looked at her. Everyone seemed to stare at Hotaru as if she were a giant titan meandering throughout the streets, waiting to devour someone. Hotaru was used to being taller than everyone else she knew, but many of the people of Suna were well over a foot shorter than her. Her heeled sandals did not help the height disparity either.

She felt very obviously a foreigner by the manner of her dress as well. She wore an emerald green shirt that complimented her fiery hair, which left her stomach exposed and a matching skirt - the skirt was supposed to stop above the knee, but because her thighs were so long, it barely made it half way down her upper leg. Underneath the outfit, Hotaru wore full body mesh armor that clung to her, defining her agile muscles. Though they were not as impressive as they once had been due to slight atrophy from her three year slumber. Compared to the people of Suna's long robes of muted colors, Hotaru felt like a circus clown. She self consciously wrapped her arms around her exposed midriff, trying to lessen her embarrassment.

The Konoha envoy was met at the entrance to the main village by a man dressed in all black and purple paint of his face. He was maybe only two or three years older than Naruto by Hotaru's best guess. The man was taller than Naruto, but still close to six inches shorter than Hotaru. He looked quite stern and slightly intimidating.

"Kankuro!" Naruto exclaimed cheerfully. "You always wear that stupid paint?" He asked as the two men shook hands. The black clad man's demeanor changed instantly to something akin to fun-loving. The paint on his face threw Hotaru off, disallowing the girl to get a proper read on what he was feeling.

"Nah, just got back from a mission. Gaara sent word you would be arriving about the same time as me, and asked if I'd accompany you to the Kazekage tower." Kankuro said in a half laugh. His focus suddenly shifted from Naruto to the strange woman standing behind the Hokage. "And who is this?" He asked, pushing Naruto aside to get a better look at Hotaru.

"Hotaru." The woman said, bowing her head formally.

"Kankuro." He replied with a sly grin. He looked Hotaru from head to toe, taking in the sight of her obscenely long hair. The red tresses had grown almost down to her ankles, and floated freely behind her in the Suna wind. "You know, red is my favorite color." The way he spoke was too smooth for Hotaru's liking, as though he had used one too many pickup lines to sound genuinely interested in a girl. Before she could reply, Naruto butt in.

"I should have warned you, Kankuro is Suna's most eligible bachelor."

Ignoring Naruto, Hotaru quipped, "I would have guessed purple was your favorite, judging by your make-up."

She struck a nerve. Kankuro's expression changed drastically to anger as he yelled at the girl, "It's not make-up!" Naruto laughed as he walked ahead of Hotaru and Kankuro.

"Come on, don't want to keep your brother waiting." The Hokage called behind him. The team of ANBU swarmed ahead, following Naruto. As Kankuro stepped off, Hotaru leaned close to his hooded ear.

"Your make-up is my favorite color… It matches my lingerie." She whispered silkily. Hotaru wasn't sure he had heard her, until she visibly saw him shiver. The skin under his painted cheeks flushed the same color as Hotaru's hair. She let out a hearty roar of laughter at his reaction, pulling ahead of him to follow Naruto. He stared as she walked away, his mouth slightly agape. Hotaru turned to see he had not moved. "You coming?" She asked innocently, a bright smile playing across her face.

Kankuro knew instantly that he liked this brazen girl. Getting to know her was going to be fun. He smirked to himself as he quickly caught up to the Konoha ninjas. Kankuro kept shooting sideways glances at the girl, noting the long scar that ran along her cheek.

_'I wonder how she got that?'_ He thought to himself as he watched her push her hair behind her ear. Part of her earlobe was missing, obviously severed by the same blow that marred her lightning bolt cheek. He was slightly shocked by, and strangely proud of how she displayed this imperfection. Most women would hid scars and wounds like those, but this girl seemed content to let them show.

Hotaru looked at Kankuro, catching him staring at her. She smiled sweetly and asked, "is something the matter?"

"I was just wondering about that scar on your cheek." He answered honestly.

"Oh, that…" Her hand quickly shot to the side of her face, dislodging her hair from her ear, covering the missing lobe.

"Battle wounds." Naruto replied, turning his head to look at the odd pair. "Don't pry too much, Kankuro. Hotaru doesn't like talking about them."

"It's okay, Naruto." Hotaru said, partially grateful that he had answered for her. Despite the fact that she was starting to become okay with talking about the things that had happened to her, she didn't wish to discuss them with Kankuro. He had obviously assumed that Hotaru was a body guard in some form, given her size and obvious physical prowess, and had no idea why she had really accompanied Naruto.

* * *

The Konoha envoy stood in the Kazekage's office, listening to the small man speak. Gaara subtly reminded Hotaru of Hajime. He was calm and collected, with a stern streak that made Hotaru think he had a slightly sadistic side to him.

"I imagine that you would like to be shown to your rooms and have a warm meal." The red-headed man spoke, his eyes focused on no one in particular. "We can begin our discussions this afternoon, once you've rested and had a good shower. I'm afraid you may find your room a little cramped." Gaara said, turning his attention to Hotaru. "Naruto told me you were tall, I guess I didn't realize just how tall you are."

"It's alright, Lord Kazekage. I'm used to it." She smiled sweetly at the green eyed man. Just as Hotaru and Naruto were about to be dismissed, the door to Gaara's office flew open without warning.

"Doesn't anyone knock anymore?" Gaara mumbled.

"Oh! Sorry." a girl with four spiky pigtails apologized. "I didn't realize you were here already, Naruto."

"It's alright, Temari!" He smiled and hugged the blonde. The display of affection made the girl uncomfortable, but because it was Naruto, Temari felt honor bound to accept the hug. The Uzumaki male pulled Hotaru foreword. "This is Hotaru."

Temari's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the tall girl. Hotaru stood well over a foot taller than the Sand Kunoichi. Temari quickly recovered, and smiled at Hotaru. "I'm Temari." She felt slightly confused, knowing Hotaru's name from somewhere in the past.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Hotaru smiled, and bowed. She wanted to mention that Shikamaru had talked about her, but thought better than to bring up Temari's ex. As if on cue, the boy with the pineapple ponytail walked into the office, reading over some documents. He wasn't looking where he was going, but Shikamaru managed to side step Temari only to run into someone else.

"Sorry." He mumbled, looking up from the file only briefly. Staring back at him was the bright face of Hotaru. She smiled joyously at him, waiting for him to say something. "I see you've made it," Shikamaru stepped around Hotaru and walked up to Gaara's desk. Hotaru's smile disappeared. "These are the files you requested on the syndicate you and the Hokage are investigating."

Shikamaru set the documents down and quietly stalked from the room, lazily shoving both hands in his pockets. "Shikamaru?" Hotaru spoke, barely audible. He stopped halfway out the door, and turned lackadaisically to look at the Akimichi woman. His eyebrow raised as if asking her what she wanted. "Hello." She merrily chimed, smiling kindly at her childhood friend.

He said nothing as he the left the office. Temari watched Hotaru's face as the young woman's heart shattered. Her gaze shifted from Hotaru to the door back to the woman. Shikamaru could be a little distant since coming to Suna, but the way he barely acknowledged the girl was just cruel.

_'How could he be so cold?'_ Hotaru thought as Gaara asked Kankuro to show the Hokage and Hotaru to their respective rooms.


	39. Chapter 39

Hotaru, Naruto, Shikamaru, and the three Sand Siblings all sat at a long table flanked by advisors from Suna and the Konoha village council. ANBU from both Suna and Konoha flanked either side of every door and window. The Akimichi quietly surveyed the room and the people inside of it, observing every detail she could about the Suna strangers.

She got stuck on Kankuro for a bit longer than everyone else. Hotaru understood why he was considered Suna's most eligible bachelor. Outside of being the brother and bodyguard of the Kazekage and in a place of power, but Hotaru noted that without the purple paint and black hood covering his head the man was quite handsome with a stone-carved face and tousled brown hair. Every now and again, Kankuro would smile to himself, as if he had thought of something funny in his head. But he would catch himself and return to a somber expression. Hotaru liked his smile. She had witnessed him sneer at some of Naruto's jokes, but this was a genuine smile that brightened up his stone face.

Kankuro could feel someone watching him for awhile, and looked up trying to find the culprit. Almost instantly he caught Hotaru staring at him from across the table. They held one another's gaze for a few moments before Kankuro smirked and winked at her. Her eyes darted away, and tried to casually raise her hand to cover her mouth and chin, hiding a smile. Hotaru flushed a vibrant pink before shyly looking back at him. Kankuro didn't know if she was embarrassed because she got caught staring or because of his wink, but he didn't care. He let loose a loud laugh, pulling everyone's attention away from the adviser who was speaking. As Gaara scolded Kankuro for his sudden, rude outburst, Hotaru was visibly shaking. She tried to muffle her giggles but it was hard not to let out a squeak or two.

"Is there any information you can offer on the subject, Hotaru?" Shikamaru asked. He had been watching the whole awkward scene play out between Kankuro and Hotaru and decided enough was enough. He knew Hotaru had not been paying attention. She awkwardly cleared her throat, willing her giggle fit away. Much to his surprise, Hotaru answered his question correctly.

"I don't know how the main circuit is run, but there's a hierarchy of members who control the fighters. It starts with guards who are combatants that can no longer fight, usually because of a wound of some sort. The guards report to lower-level lackeys who function as a fighter's sponsor. They're the fighters owners, so to speak. These guys also control a large percentage of the fighters. They get a cut of a combatant's winnings that is supposed to go to providing food and clothing to the fighters, but they rarely saw those benefits. Those low-level lackeys report to higher ups, and eventually, you get to Boss who runs the entire operation."

"What about fighters like Hajime and -" Naruto asked, but Hotaru interrupted him.

"The only person who has power over former ninjas is Boss. He gets all of their winnings, and for the most part leaves them to their own devices. At least, Yoshiro did. The other fighters are terrified of former shinobi, they know that when it comes down to it the shinobi are the ones who will survive the longest."

"Do you know the layout of the arenas?" A Suna council member asked.

"I can't say for certain, but if it's anything like the arena in the Land of Fire, it will be difficult to find. Gamblers sit in their own private boxes, each having it's own secret entrance. This allows for complete anonymity. The only way to take the Boss down is to find him in his personal box. Under the arena will be a subterranean complex that houses the fighters. There will be training dojos, communal barracks, a galley and kitchen, and a couple private rooms. Main population lives in communal barracks, former shinobi have private rooms that are locked every night; you have to be very skilled to break out of one of those without getting caught. If there are any former shinobi down there, they'll be easy to pick out. They will be only ones with binding seals, because they are the biggest flight risks. All of the other fighters are there to pay off some kind of debt to Boss, so they're usually pretty determined to stay in the complex. Even the children who were sold to him to pay off debts."

"Children?" Temari exclaimed, horrified by the development.

"Don't worry about the kids." Hotaru brushed Temari's worry off. "They have a higher survival rate than adults do. They aren't allowed into the arena until they are 14 years old, so when a child is sold to Boss, an older fighter is allowed to retire and take on the child as a student. These kids are some of the most vicious fighters you can image, because as long as the kid stays alive, their sensei isn't allowed back into the arena. So, they train them tough; they are killing machines. A fighter's whole objective is to stay alive the longest, so if you keep your student alive, you stay alive."

"You say they are there to pay off debts? What happens when a debt is payed off?" Gaara spoke up.

"I don't know. No one has ever gotten that far. Most fighters die within the first five to ten matches."

"How can they sustain such a large operation if the death rate is so high?" One of the Konoha council inquired.

"You'd be surprised how many people owe money to the syndicate. There will be at least 100 combatants under an arena at any given time. And sometimes a fighter can months between a match. But, the more a person wins, the more fights they will have, and the more difficult they will become. Basically, the longer someone survives, the more money they are worth."

"How can we trust her information?" A Suna representative asked indignantly. "With all due respect, Lord Kazekage, how do we not know she is working for the syndicate and feeding us false information?" Hotaru looked at the man with fire in her eyes. To be honest, only the Kazekage and the Konoha envoy knew of Hotaru's past. Gaara had purposefully kept his representatives in the dark about the Akimichi woman, hoping they would trust her on the Hokage's recommendation. He had obviously been wrong.

"For seven years I was held prisoner by this gambling syndicate in the Land of Fire. I was forced to fight and murder for money. I have 497 kills to my name, my _lowest_ grossing match made 3,700,000 ryo. And I am the only person who has ever been able to successfully escape and come home. You may not trust me, but don't you dare question my loyalty to my friends, my Hokage, and my village."

"My apologies." The man said lowering his head. Kankuro laughed.

"I knew you were a badass!" He shouted across the room at the Akimichi. Hotaru chuckled at Kankuro's outburst.

* * *

"So, Gaara has plans to have dinner with Naruto this evening to discuss things you aren't concerned with…" Kankuro stated as the pair came upon Hotaru's room. "And I was just thinking, since you obviously don't have any dinner plans -"

"Who says I don't have plans? I'm a relatively attractive girl, it's a Saturday night -" She joked, turning to face him.

"The only person you know here is Shikamaru, and I doubt he'll be going out to dinner anytime soon. Doing anything other than work is too 'troublesome' for his liking." Hotaru's stomach sank at the mention of the Nara boy. She could not figure out why he was being so distant and cold to her. What had happened in the last three years to change him so drastically?

"So, are you asking me out, Kankuro?" Hotaru asked, coyly nudging closer to his chest. He was about half a foot shorter than her, but she enjoyed acting as if he were the taller of the two. Yes, the thought of Shikamaru's sudden distaste for the world hurt her, but she had an attractive man asking her to dinner. She didn't know if he was genuinely interested in her or if he just wanted to make the Akimichi girl another one of his conquests, but she didn't particularly care. Hotaru could tell that an evening out with him would be enjoyable no matter what his motivations were.

"Well… yeah, kind of."

"Are you asking me out just to sleep with me?" She asked bluntly. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to intimidate him into telling the truth.

"What!? No, I was being nice! I just thought that -"

"Okay!" She shrugged her shoulders happily. "Give me thirty minutes?" Hotaru bounced up and down as she opened her door. She giggled before shutting the door on Kankuro.

"What am I supposed to do for a half hour?" Kankuro whispered to himself, before stepping back from the door.


	40. Chapter 40

The Hokage and his attachés had been in Suna for four days. All useful information Hotaru had about the ring was gleaned from her within the first two. She had been given the option to return to Konoha with an ANBU escort, but instead chose to stay in Suna. Her official reason being that even if she was a civilian, her first duty as a former shinobi was to stay by her Hokage's side. Hotaru's true motive was that Kankuro had taken her out for dinner every night. Food mixed with the company of someone she truly enjoyed being around was a good combination.

Every evening, Kankuro turned out to be quite a gentleman. Courteous of Hotaru's feelings, he remembered Naruto's warning that she did not like talking about her past too much. He would ask some questions about life in the arena, but would quickly see when she was becoming uncomfortable and change the subject.

On an off chance, he brought up the subject of being a puppet master, thinking maybe it could turn her mind away from her past. Kankuro was surprised by how intrigued the young woman was by his puppets. She had never come across a puppet user - there weren't too many people in the arena circuit that even knew how to mold chakra, let alone control entire beings with it.

Hotaru enjoyed listening to Kankuro discuss his puppets, changes he was making to his old favorites, or plans for creating new ones. He got excited about his creations easily. When he did, Kankuro would start talking with his hands, gesticulating wildly, or using random props from the table to get his point across. His passion for his puppets was contagious. Hotaru would get swept away by his excitement, and rearrange some of Kankuro's props, trying to help him puzzle out a problem he faced in updating a puppet. On her second night in Suna, the pair spent five hours in the restaurant throwing around ideas for new puppets. They were finally asked to leave by the restaurant manager because it was closing for the night.

Kankuro was hurrying to meet Hotaru outside of her room at the inn. The meeting between Suna and Konoha had run late, forcing the young man to hurriedly change from his standard robes to a the more formal black suit he wanted to wear. Kankuro had made the decision to take the girl to the most expensive restaurant in Suna. He had only ever eaten there twice in his life, and had never taken a girl there.

Kankuro was willing to admit that, at first, his intentions with the Konoha woman weren't of the purest quality. But after talking to Hotaru for more than five minutes he realized that having any form of noncommittal affair with her was off limits. He couldn't put his finger on why that was, but something about Hotaru made him want to be her friend before anything else. However, the realization didn't stop her teasing - she would relentlessly inform him of the color, fabric, and style of her undergarments. He knew she was just trying to play him, but damn was it effective. He hurriedly rounded the corner to the hallway to which her room was connected as Hotaru stepped outside and locked her door.

She was wearing a blue-violet kimono dress with a rather revealing collar, a golden sash was tied around her waist. The purple of her dress matched perfectly to the color of Kankuro's face paint. Kankuro noticed that she had worn something that had purple in it every day that she had been in Suna. She wasn't lying when she said it was her favorite. Her hair had been pulled back into a set of intricate braids that interlaced with one another. How she had managed to braid all of that hair dumbfounded Kankuro. But she looked amazingly breathtaking nonetheless. Hotaru turned to see him walking down the hallway, and smiled at her new friend.

"Wow..." Kankuro sighed when she turned to face him. "Y-you look.. wow."

"Thank you." Her voice was sweet and melodic.

"But, you've been playing the purple card a little heavy-handed, don't you think?" He laughed, scratching at his mess of hair.

"What ever do you mean?" She asked, trying to act naive.

"Does your lingerie still match?" He wanted to sound smooth and collected, like the lady's man he was, but he was no match for Hotaru's brazen and blunt behavior.

"No. Black, see-through lace. Goes with my hair and highlights my skin." Kankuro let out a feeble laugh as Hotaru hooked her arm around Kankuro's elbow. "Ready?" She smiled at him, knowing the poor boy was like putty in her hands.

"I hope you don't mind, but Temari said she would join us tonight. I think she's bringing someone as well." Kankuro tried to sound normal, but the mental image of Hotaru in nothing but black lace lingerie wouldn't leave him alone. Thinking gentlemanly thoughts was difficult with her around.

"That's alright, I've wanted to get to know her more." Hotaru merrily bounced, excited about getting to know more people from Suna.

* * *

Four people sat awkwardly at a table. Temari had decided it was a good idea to bring Shikamaru along. She had thought that if he just spent a little time with Hotaru he would stop being so stubborn and cold to her. But she was wrong. Having Shikamaru around brought on an air of anger.

"So, Hotaru," Temari spoke, trying to lighten the mood, "what do you do in Konoha?"

"Well… I was in a coma for the last three years. So, currently, I don't really do anything." Hotaru tried to talk with a slightly cheery note, but the Sand kunoichi just stared at the girl.

Temari suddenly realized why she had known Hotaru's name. "You're Choji's sister, aren't you?" She asked, finally connecting the dots. This was the girl Shikamaru had been so frantic about three years ago? She glanced over a Shikamaru, unable to understand how he could be so heartless towards the girl he had so obviously cared for.

"Yes!" Hotaru happily exclaimed.

"No offense, but you don't look like you're even related to him." Kankuro stated. He turned his body, draping his arm around the back of Hotaru's chair. Shikamaru said nothing at the show Kankuro was putting on.

"Well, we're actually cousins. His parents adopted me after my dad died. Apparently I look more like my mom, though."

"She wasn't an Akimichi?" Temari asked.

Hotaru shook her head. "No, she was an Inuzuka. She's actually Kiba's aunt."

"How are Choji and Kiba?" Temari kindly inquired.

"Good. They both have genin teams. Well, one of Choji's is a chuunin now. Choji's team is always hanging around the estate, they absolutely adore him. When Kiba's not on a mission with his kids, he comes over and spends time with me and Shiromaru."

"Shiromaru?" Kankuro asked. He changed focus from pouring his drink too fast, and spilled the last of it on his hand.

"He's my ninken."

"Why didn't you bring him with you?" Kankuro questioned, licking the spilled liquid from his hands. "Can I try some of your sake?" He pointed to the small cup sitting in front of Hotaru.

She nodded, handing him the cup then answered, "Even though I'm technically an Inuzuka, I'm not a member of the clan, and only clan members are allowed to have Inuzuka ninken. They made an exception for me, because Shiromaru was my mom's dog before she passed away, and he doesn't take to other people too well. But, I'm still not allowed to leave the village with an Inuzuka dog."

Shikamaru was fuming as he watched Kankuro sip on Hotaru's drink. The two had only known each other for less than a week, why was he acting so familiar with her? Kankuro should know where boundaries lay, and he had crossed one too many of Shikamaru's.

"You have a great taste in sake." Kankuro smiled as he set the cup back in front of Hotaru.

"I can't say your taste in men has improved." Shikamaru finally muttered, scowling at Kankuro.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kankuro asked indignantly.

"At least this one isn't a fugitive and a murderer." Shikamaru's gaze slowly glided over to Hotaru, who sat horror-struck. Kankuro and Temari were quiet, glancing back and forth between the two Konoha villagers. The Suna shinobi let his arm drop from the back of Hotaru's chair. They had no clue what Shikamaru was talking about, but did not know how to stop him.

"You have no right to talk about Hajime like that." Hotaru whispered. Despite her low tone, there was danger in her voice.

"I have every right to talk about him -"

"No!" Hotaru scolded the Nara male.

"He used you, Hotaru! He manipulated you -"

"He loved me."

"He didn't love you, you were just convenient."

"You didn't know him -"

"You were nothing more than his whore!" Shikamaru yelled, slamming his fists into the table. A hairline crack splintered under Shikamaru's palms. The entire restaurant fell silent, turning their attention to the scene unfolding at Hotaru's table. As soon as he spoke, Shikamaru wished he could take his words back. He didn't understand why he said what he had. Whenever the subject of Hotaru or her life came up, Shikamaru seemed to loose all sense of reason. Hotaru stared at him with wide eyes. He could see her heart break as tears began to well up.

"Shika…" she muttered, dropping her gaze from the boy. Shikamaru and Kankuro both stood from up the table. Kankuro to scold the insolent man, Shikamaru to leave.

"My sincerest apologies." Shikamaru spoke before Kankuro could berate him. The Nara male left the table in a hurry. Kankuro moved to follow him, but was stopped by Temari.

"You'll just make it worse. I'll go talk to him, you take her home." Temari fled after Shikamaru, leaving Kankuro alone with Hotaru. A small whimper pulled his attention back toward the girl. Her hands were covering her mouth, trying to hold back her sobs. Hotaru clenched her eyes, forcing her tears away.

"Come on." Kankuro said softly as he dug through his wallet. "Let's get you home." He threw down a wad of money before helping Hotaru from her chair.

* * *

Temari finally caught up to Shikamaru as he was entering his apartment complex.

"What was that?" She asked, pulling Shikamaru away from the door.

"Leave me alone." He replied, pulling his keys from his pocket and returning to the doorway.

"You tell me what the hell you were thinking. Am I right in believing that this is the same girl who three years ago you basically told me 'fuck off, I'm in love with her'?" Shikamaru said nothing as he tried to retreat into the building. Temari caught him and pulled him back outside. "How, _how_, can you go from running to Konoha, terrified of loosing her, to treating her like _that_?"

"I'm not talking about this, Temari."

"I'm done with this bullshit, Shikamaru. Stop acting like a spoiled, self-centered brat and talk to me."

"Relationships are too troublesome." He pulled away from Temari, who stood in shock. She couldn't believe that he was trying to use the same excuse he had used when he broke up with her. It infuriated her that he thought that stupid sentence was all the justification he needed to treat someone who cared about him like garbage.

"No, relationships are surprisingly easy. You're just a jealous ass who is afraid of commitment." The woman scolded him before walking away.


	41. Chapter 41

"Are you okay?" Kankuro asked as they reached Hotaru's door. She had managed to pull herself together long enough to keep from crying, but Kankuro saw through her. Shikamaru's comment hurt the poor woman in ways he couldn't imagine.

"I'll be fine." She lied. Hotaru stood in front of the door, staring at the handle.

"Listen, what Shikamaru said -"

"It's okay, it isn't the first time I've been called a whore."

"Still doesn't make it right." Kankuro gently set his hand on Hotaru's shoulder.

"Want to come in?" Hotaru asked, her voice was trembling on the verge of crying.

"I should go home. I don't want people to think I'm taking advantage of your vulnerability…"

"As much as I appreciate the chivalry, there is no way you could take advantage of me. I may not look like much, but I'm a killer." Hotaru joked, wiping stray tears from her cheeks. After a moment, Hotaru continued, "I just don't want to be alone. I need some cheering up, you know?" She looked over to Kankuro and smiled through her pain.

"I have an idea." He spoke softly. "Go change into something comfortable -"

"How comfortable do you want me?" She teased. Kankuro was thankful that she was fine enough to make jokes.

"Keep it in your pants for five minutes, would you?" Kankuro smirked. "Get changed, and I'll show you something I think you'll enjoy." Hotaru looked confused at his vague suggestion. "Hop to it." Kankuro waved his hands toward her door, trying to usher her inside and hurry.

Hotaru emerged a few minutes later, having changed into a pair of capris and a loose fitting shirt. "This comfortable enough?"

"It's perfect, now come on." He took hold of her hand and gently lead Hotaru throughout Suna.

"Where are we going?" She asked as they entered a section of the village she had not been to previously. Large houses flanked either side of the street, casting intimidating shadows over the pair. Kankuro didn't answer. He sharply turned to the left, leading Hotaru up a walkway to one of the mansions. He unlocked the door and peered inside the darkened home. Kankuro stepped aside and let his guest enter before him. "Who's house is this?" She whispered. Hotaru didn't know why she did, but thought it the proper thing to do.

"Mine." He answered casually. "Well, mine and my siblings." Kankuro turned on a light, illuminating the front room of the house. The architecture in Suna was far different from Konoha. Homes in Konoha were heavily wood based, relying on the forest outside of the village for their building materials. Buildings in Suna had a much more stern concrete base that reflected the muted, sand color of the desert surrounding them.

"You coming?" Kankuro asked, pulling Hotaru's attention away from the basic architecture of his home. He was halfway up a flight of stairs, looking back at the tall girl.

"Where are you taking me?" She smiled up at him.

"Quit asking questions or I'll leave you out in the desert."

"You wouldn't do that. I couldn't tell you about all of my lingerie if you did."

"I think you've told me about every piece you own: the purple strapy thing, the black lace, the red polka-dots…"

"What about the blue g-string?"

"How could I have forgotten the g-string!?" He wailed sarcastically.

"Or the leather corset?"

Kankuro stopped walking up the stairs, his foot hanging mid-air. "…That one is new." Hotaru howled with laughter. She pushed his back, forcing him to continue up the stairs. "You're just fucking around with me now, aren't you?"

"A lady never reveals her secrets."

"No, a lady never openly discusses her underwear with someone she's known for a week. You are not a lady."

"I take offense!" She dramatically slapped Kankuro's shoulder and began retreating down the stairs. She immediately turned around and followed the man into a dark room. He turned on the light to reveal his puppet workshop. Unused puppets hung from the walls, while parts and tools lay scattered about the work benches and spilled over onto the floor. A table at the center of the room held scattered papers of design concepts for new puppets or improving older ones.

Hotaru slowly spun in a circle, taking in the sight of all of the puppeteer's tools. She giddily pranced over to one of the puppets hanging on the wall and examined it. She kept her hands to herself, afraid of being scolded for touching someone else's equipment.

"What I want to show you is over here." Kankuro stated, as he sat down in front of the table. Hotaru was loathe to pull her attention away from the puppet, but slowly turned and sat next to the Suna male. He was rustling through the papers looking for a specific one. "Here." He mumbled, pulling the paper out and handing it to Hotaru.

"What is it?" She asked, looking over the drawings and notes jotted down on it. She had no clue what any of them meant, but she figured it had to be something important. Kankuro slid behind Hotaru, leaning over her shoulder to point at different parts of the design.

"It's a new design concept I came up with the other night. It's based on the bō you told me about. The one with the retractable chakra blades? See, the way two of my puppets work is Crow lures an opponent into the body of Black Ant, and then impales the opponent with blades from Crow's limbs. But, I was thinking, what if I combine the two and created a new puppet with a set of retractable blades like the ones in your bō? So, I came up with a couple different designs. It will obviously be named after you, since you were my muse." Hotaru tried to hide her smile. She liked being called his muse. "The biggest problem that I'm facing right now is, because I use chakra threads to control the puppets, regulating the amount needed to keep the blades from exposing themselves too soon could become a pain."

"I figured out how to manipulate the chakra I infused with my bō so that it would only allow one blade out at a time, how far it could be exposed, even which blade I wanted. It would just be a matter of practice to figure it out."

"I suppose you're right." He replied, resting his chin on Hotaru's shoulder. Hotaru side-eyed him, smirking slightly before turning her attention back to the paper.

"Can I ask you a favor?" She quietly sighed, giving up trying to understand what the design concept was saying.

"Shoot."

"Can you teach me how to use chakra threads?" She turned her head to look at him, her nose grazing his cheek slightly. He pulled away from her body, giving her a questioning look. "Just the basics, nothing too complicated. I find your puppets so interesting."

"Yeah, I guess I can show you something." Kankuro spun Hotaru around so she faced the open area of the room. He stood up, pulled one of the smaller puppets from the wall, and set it about one yard from Hotaru's feet. He returned to his position sitting behind Hotaru. He straddle her hips with his legs, leaning his chest into her shoulders, and took her arms in his hands. "Hold your arms out like this and spread your fingers…" The man raised her arms so they faced the puppet while Hotaru spread her fingers apart. "Look at that! Step one is a success!"

"I'll be a master in no time!" Hotaru laughed.

"I don't know about that."

Hotaru pulled her arm from his grasp, and covered his mouth. "Shh." She cooed, petting her hand across his face. Kankuro pulled her arm back to its proper position.

"Okay, now for the tricky part. Concentrate your chakra in your hands -" Blue chakra flames burst from her palms as she did as she was told. "No, no. Too much. Using chakra threads takes subtlety and finesse."

"Sorry." Hotaru let the flames in her hands die away.

"You don't need to apologize." He chuckled in her ear. "You're learning, mistakes happen. The easiest way to make a chakra thread is to imagine the holes in your chakra system at the tips of your fingers."

"Okay, imagining."

"So, these points on your fingertips are like a fine needle that has to be threaded. If you don't concentrate enough chakra you can't thread it, if you send too much, the hole gets overwhelmed and you explode."

"That's not how threading a needle works."

"It's an analogy, just go with it." Hotaru snickered under her breath. Flustering Kankuro was quickly becoming her favorite game. "Concentrate your chakra in your hands, but only let small slivers of it be threaded through your fingers."

Hotaru stopped smiling as she focused her attention on her hands and fingers. She would stare at her fingers for a moment, then glance at the puppet before her, and change focus to her hands again.

"Don't worry about the puppet yet." Kankuro softly sighed, moving his hands to surround hers. His fingers laced between hers, sewing the pair together. "Concentrate on getting the thread through the hole first. I'm going to show you how it should feel to get the right amount in your fingertips. Remember that feeling, and try to replicate it once I take my hands away, okay?" Hotaru nodded, intently staring at her fingers. Kankuro sent a small wave of chakra through his palms into Hotaru's hands. A warm rush of energy grew in her fingers as the friendly chakra helped guide her own. Small strings of blue shimmering chakra began to emerge from her fingertips. Hotaru gasped, smiling broadly at the sight unfolding before her. She wiggled her fingers, sending the small strings dancing in the air. "Think you can remember this?" Kankuro asked before taking his chakra away. The strings vanished.

Hotaru returned her focus to her hands, picturing the holes on her fingertips while trying to reproduce the feeling of having chakra threaded out of them. She clenched her eyes shut, in an attempt to picture the chakra points more clearly. After a couple minutes, the feeling she had felt while Kankuro held her fingers came back on its own. Her eyes fluttered open as she saw the tiny strings climb from within her fingers. "I'm doing it!" She exclaimed, loosing focus and thus the strings.

"Don't loose your concentration. Otherwise you'll never reach the puppet." Hotaru returned her attention to her fingers. Before long the strings reemerged.

"Now what do I do?"

"Tell the thread to attach to the puppet. Guide them to the important joints and limbs that you will need in order to make the puppet move."

"How do I know which joints and limbs to use?" She asked, trying to make a split decision on where the threads should go. Kankuro's hands moved back onto Hotaru's sending a burst of his own chakra to help guide the strings.

"Do you have students?" Hotaru asked as the strings slowly made their way to the puppet.

"A couple. Why?"

"Are you this nice to them? I mean, do you help them this much?"

"No, I'm a lot stricter with them. You're learning this for fun, they learn it to survive. If I coddle them every step of the way, they can't learn to think for themselves, and that could get them killed."

"You act so tough and rough around the edges, but really, you're just a big, squishy teddy bear, aren't you?"

"I don't know about squishy…" Hotaru chuckled as she watched the chakra threads finally reach their destination. They connected with the puppet, causing the object to involuntarily jump. The man tried to remove his hands, but Hotaru stopped him.

"Wait! Don't - don't let go."

"Okay." He complied with her request and held her hands tightly in his fists. Kankuro was surprised by how long and elegant the girl's hands were. They weren't rough like his, but soft and supple. _'She hasn't really had to use her hands for much, what with the coma and all…'_ He thought to himself.

"Now," he quietly whispered in Hotaru's ear, "tell the puppet what to do. It doesn't take much movement to make it work for you, so the less you move your finger, the more precise it will move. If you jerk a finger too quickly, the puppet will fly out of your control. Like this…" Kankuro nudged Hotaru's right thumb. The string connected to it grew taught from the movement causing the puppet's right knee to fly upwards and hit the puppet in the face. "Subtle movements."

"Subtle movements…" Hotaru whispered to herself, trying to make the puppet sit up and lift its head. Slowly, the woman was able to make the puppet rise to look at her. "I did it!" She yelled, throwing her fists triumphantly into the air. The puppet violently flew to the ceiling, exploding into different parts as it crashed.

"I am so sorry!" She jumped from the floor and began picking up the pieces of the puppet in her arms. She kept mumbling to herself, asking Kankuro's forgiveness and expressing that it was an accident.

"Hotaru, it's okay." Kankuro stated from his spot on the floor.

"No it's not, I broke one of your puppets!"

"That's an old one that I haven't used since I was like 10. Besides, it's easy to fix. That's why I let you use it." She didn't stop picking up puppet parts, unsure if he meant what he was saying or if he was just being nice. "Don't worry about it." Hotaru stood to look at him, a bundle of puppet pieces wrapped in her arms. One of the puppet's arms was sticking up, and slapped against her face when she moved. Kankuro stood and guided her to the workbench where he made her put the broken puppet down. As the last of the parts fell from her hands, Hotaru let out a depressed sigh.

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Kankuro stated. He was standing behind her, and felt the uncontrollable urge to wrap his arms around her waist. As he did, Hotaru pushed her back into his chest, clutching his arms in her hands. "You did better than most people do their first time. Hell, it took me days just to get my threads to connect with a puppet."

"But, I didn't. You did that for me."

"Consider it a favor." He smirked. The scent of Hotaru's hair gently wafted into his nose. She smelled like fresh grass and flowers. The woman was absolutely intoxicating. He had nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck as he tried to breath in her smell. Kankuro lightly caressed his lips across the nape of her neck. Hotaru stiffened awkwardly as his lips gently grazed her skin. Realizing what he had done, Kankuro quickly released Hotaru and pushed himself away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Kankuro muttered as Hotaru turned to face him. He was about to apologize more profusely when the workshop door opened, allowing Kankuro's sister in.

"Was Hotaru alright when you took her home -" Temari asked as soon as she was in the doorway, but stopped when she saw the tall Akimichi standing before her. "Oh! Hotaru… Kankuro brought you here?"

"Yes, I asked him to cheer me up, so he brought me here to show me his workshop and some designs." She smiled sweetly at the blonde kunoichi. "He was teaching me how to use chakra threads. But, I accidentally broke a puppet." Hotaru sheepishly pointed to the pile of parts beside her.

"It's getting late. I should probably take you back to the inn now." Kankuro spoke, trying to covertly avoid eye contact with Hotaru. He felt immensely guilty for having unwittingly kissed the girl. Kankuro knew he had made her uncomfortable with his actions; he had overstepped some sort of boundary. There weren't enough apologizes in the world that could make him feel okay. Hotaru nodded silently and left the room. As she made her way downstairs, Temari caught her brother by the arm.

"You brought her here?" She whispered, trying to keep her voice low enough so Hotaru could not hear. There was an odd amount of surprise in her voice, as though Kankuro had committed a crime.

"Yeah? So?"

"You've never brought a girl back to the house, let alone your workshop, before."

"Like she said, she needed some cheering up. She's interested in the puppets, so I brought her here."

"… Be careful, okay? She's been through a lot."

Kankuro did not respond as he left the room. As he made his way down the staircase, he saw Hotaru standing patiently by the front door. She was smiling innocently up at him. Kankuro blushed, and looked away.

Once they were outside, Hotaru spoke, "It's okay, you know?" Kankuro said nothing, but looked at her quizzically. "You kissing my neck. It's okay that it happened, I just wasn't expecting it. That's why I got tense."

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"Trust me, you have been more than a gentleman… Even if you know the color of every undergarment I own. Just… Give me some warning if you want to kiss me again." She laughed as her arm snaked around Kankuro's elbow.

* * *

**Real talk for a mo: This has probably been my favorite chapter that I have written thus far. I love getting to bring out Hotaru's playful side with Kankuro, and really love the idea of intimacy without a defined sense Eros -for the most part- between Kankuro and Hotaru.**


	42. Chapter 42

Shikamaru had sat in his apartment, trying not to think about how much of an ass he had been to Hotaru.

_'Hotaru did not deserve that. It was a dick move.'_

"You don't think I'm aware of that?"

_'You should apologize.'_

"I can't."

_'Quit wallowing. Temari's right, stop this bullshit and start talking. Getting away with being a cold-hearted ass can only go on for so long before you say something you may actually regret. Go apologize.'_

The man begrudgingly rose from his chair and left his home. The walk to the inn Hotaru was staying at was not that far, but Shikamaru moved slowly. He took nearly an hour to walk while he tried to figure out what he wanted to say to the Akimichi woman.

_'How do you even begin to apologize for that level of disrespect?'_ He thought as he came upon the street on which the inn was located.

Rounding the corner, Shikamaru caught a glimpse of Hotaru walking with Kankuro. Her clothes were different from what they had been a couple hours earlier, but Kankuro appeared in the same formal attire. Her arm was wrapped tightly around Kankuro's elbow, and she was leaning into the man. The pair was too far away for Shikamaru to hear what they were talking about, but Hotaru let out a high-pitched, full-body laugh. As she did, Kankuro blushed slightly and said something to cause the to girl laugh harder. She playfully slapped Kankuro's shoulder, this time causing Kankuro to laugh.

Though the street was sparsely populated, the people who were out all stopped to watch the two young adults pass by. Many of them smiled at the woman and the man whose arm on which she hung. They all knew Kankuro and the reputation he held with women, but no one had ever seen him so invested in someone before.

They were headed toward Shikamaru's location, but stopped halfway up the street and turned to the inn. Shikamaru stalked toward the pair, who had stopped outside the lobby door. As he came upon them, Hotaru turned to hug Kankuro. He carefully wrapped his arms around Hotaru, pulling the tall girl tightly against his body. Shikamaru watched as the woman visibly relaxed in his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder.

Shikamaru was close enough now to hear the two talking. Without releasing Kankuro from the hug, Hotaru spoke sweetly, "Thank you."

"For what?" Kankuro asked, letting go of Hotaru. The pair broke apart, but kept the distance between them miniscule.

"For making me feel better."

"You don't need to thank me for that."

"Yes, I do. You could have just left me here."

"Yeah, well… You asked me to help, I couldn't just leave. I guess I really am just a big, squishy teddy bear."

"I don't know about squishy." Hotaru remarked, placing her hands on Kankuro's stomach. She pushed lightly against him, giggling as he flexed his abdominal muscles.

The two spoke some more, but Shikamaru's attention was pulled away by two older women gossiping. "Is that really Lord Kankuro?" One woman asked from slightly behind Shikamaru.

"I believe that is. The woman with him came with the Hokage last week." The second woman replied.

"Do you think she knows the boy Lady Temari used to date?"

"Possibly, but Konoha is a large village… Lord Kankuro has changed, hasn't he?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know his reputation. Before the war he wasn't a very monogamous person. Even after the war a little bit. But the last couple years, he's grown up a lot. I heard the village council is even talking about nominating him as council head. But, he probably wouldn't accept - he's still got a lot of good shinobi years left in him."

The two women walked passed Shikamaru, allowing him to shift focus back to the pair standing before him.

"Goodnight, Hotaru." Kankuro gently pushed a stray hair away from her face, draping it behind her left ear. In the few days he had known her, Kankuro had quickly picked up on the fact that she didn't like exposing her right ear too often. He didn't ask her about it, but he could see that she was still slightly embarrassed by the small imperfection. Kankuro didn't think it was his place to tell her that he liked the missing earlobe. Maybe he was jaded, but it was a badge of honor. She had lived through hell and emerged victorious.

"Goodnight, Kankuro." She smiled back at the young man. He bowed his head slightly before reluctantly leaving the woman. Kankuro looked behind him to smile at her. She waved goodbye before turning to enter the lobby.

"Hotaru!" Shikamaru caught her before she was through the door. She recoiled from his grasp, and managed to punch him in the chest before she realized Shikamaru was the one who had grabbed at her.

"Shikamaru!" She gasped as he dropped to his knees. "You know better than to grab at a kunoichi - no matter how out of practice she is!" The poor boy struggled to breathe. The pain in his chest was localized, but the searing sting felt like it would never leave his body. "I'm sorry." She apologized once he could stand straight.

"It's okay. Consider it payback for dinner." He wheezed.

"What were you thinking, sneaking up on me like that?"

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior. I came to talk."

"Oh. Well, come on then." Hotaru walked into the inn's lobby, where she was greeted by the hostess.

"Is everything alright, Miss?" The older woman asked. She had witnessed Shikamaru's grab at Hotaru.

"Everything is fine. He just scared me is all." Hotaru smiled kindly. "Would you mind bringing us some tea in a little while?"

"Of course, Miss." The hostess bowed before retreating into the inn. Shikamaru said nothing as Hotaru made her way to her room.

Once inside, Hotaru sat down at her table and expectantly waited for Shikamaru to do the same. "So, what have you come to talk about?"

"I'm sorry that I have been cold to you Hotaru, but I want you to understand -"

"I've come to fully understand why you've been doing the things you have been."

"You - you do?"

"Thinking I'm dead for seven years only to have me come back into your life with the subtly of a tsunami and then be taken away again. It had to be hard on you." There was something in Hotaru's voice that Shikamaru could not place. She didn't sound as genuine and sweet as she normally did.

"Yes…?" He answered suspiciously.

"Never mind the fact that I spent seven years of my life fighting to survive: fighting in an arena so the man who owned me could make money, and holding the man I love in my arms as he died. Only to come home where I was treated with suspicion and fear, where I was constantly under surveillance, and my friends didn't understand how traumatized I was - because it was all so fresh to me to talk about - until they probed my mind and stole my memories. And once they finally understood, I made the decision to finally take control of my life, only to fall into a coma and miss three more years. Three years in which my brother and multiple friends got married, engaged, moved up in their careers, or had children, and you abandoned the village because the reality of the fact that I may never wake up was too difficult for you to deal with."

Shikamaru hung his head as he listened to Hotaru's calm berating. She never allowed her voice to rise above a quiet murmur.

"I understand that you lost hope," Hotaru continued, "but you are acting selfishly. Not only did I need you, but everyone did. Choji, Ino, Naruto, Hinata, all of them. They were only as strong as their friendships, and you left them vulnerable. I can forgive you for the things you said to me - although the next time you call me a whore or disrespect Hajime's memory, I will tear your throat out with my teeth. I can forgive you for being cold and ignoring me. But I cannot forgive you for abandoning the people who are supposed to be the most dear to you when you were all suffering. All of you were in pain, but you could only focus on yourself."

"Hotaru… I am sorry."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." Shikamaru slowly lifted his gaze to meet Hotaru. Her eyes fell on him in a flash of cadmium rage. "And as for your comment about Kankuro -"

"I do not approve of your relationship with him."

"I don't care if you approve or not. I will be with whomever I deem worthy of my friendship. And Kankuro is worthy."

"You don't know him -"

"I think I know him better than you can possibly understand."

"How? You met him four days ago. I've known him since I was 12."

"Have you ever talked to him, Shika? Have you ever sat down and talked to him about his favorite things? Or his ultimate goal in life? Or why he wears that purple paint? Or how much he cares about Temari and Gaara? Have you ever taken the time to get to know him, or would that be too troublesome?"

Shikamaru thought back on all of the years he had known the Suna male. He had, in fact, never really held a discussion with Kankuro. Even when he was with Temari, Shikamaru had never taken the time to get to know her middle sibling. Kankuro had always seemed content to be alone in his workshop, or off at some girl's house, when he wasn't out on a mission. In the last two years that Shikamaru had been stationed in Sunagakure, he had noticed that Kankuro spent more time working with the village council, advising the Kazekage, or working with his puppets. Those gossips outside had been right, Kankuro had grown up.

"Do you know why I have become friends with him, Shika?" Hotaru asked, her entire demeanor changed when she voiced this question. She relaxed, calming her voice tremendously. She now spoke with the genuine kindness Shikamaru knew. "It's because of the way he looks at Gaara."

Shikamaru raised his eyebrow, not fully understanding the girl's logic.

"He sees Gaara for what he is. He is a man who has lived through a hell that was forced upon him - a fate that he did not ask for. Gaara is someone who's life was full of hatred and bloodlust. And when he was given the chance to absolve himself, Kankuro saw it and helped him. Kankuro became the only friend Gaara had in the world. Kankuro offered Gaara redemption."

"Kankuro looks at you the way he looks at Gaara?" Shikamaru asked, finally connecting the puzzle pieces.

"He does." Hotaru answered.

"Why do you want him to redeem you?"

"I don't need redemption. I don't need someone to save me. I need someone who understands. At first, I thought Kankuro was just some Sand Shinobi who was a massive flirt. But then he asked me to dinner and we talked for hours, as though we had known each other for years. Old friends who were finally catching up. He told me about Gaara's past, and I knew I could stand to have him in my life… And he's such an easy target; so easy to tease. I laugh with him, and feel happy. I don't think you know how important it is that I am actually happy, Shikamaru. Even when I was with Hajime, I was never truly happy. I loved him … But in the last four days, I have laughed more than I did in ten years."

Shikamaru stood from the table, and walked toward the door. "I am very sorry for the way I have treated you. And, I will try to come home soon." Hotaru nodded her head as Shikamaru left.


	43. Chapter 43

Hotaru had literally just stepped out of her shower when there was a knock at her door. Wrapping herself quickly in a towel, she made her way through the small room. Her wet hair was dragging along the floor behind her.

_'I really need to get it cut..'_ She thought. It was way to heavy to do anything with and drying it took years to accomplish. Hotaru opened the door expecting to see Naruto. The Konoha envoy would be leaving Suna this afternoon, Hotaru figured he was stopping by to remind her of this.

In all honesty, Hotaru did not want to return to Konoha just yet. She liked the arid village and the people she had met. Hotaru had quickly become accustomed to wandering through the village during the day - closely followed by a Suna ANBU. She knew the ANBU was there, and had even tried to tell him that he didn't have to stalk behind her, his job would be easier if he walked with her. But the ANBU didn't listen.

Evenings that turned into long nights were spent with Kankuro, where they would discuss anything and everything. Almost nothing was off limits to talk about, unless it made one of them uncomfortable. Hotaru didn't think there was a subject that made Kankuro uneasy until the third night they had been together when she brought up the subject of his father. Hotaru had asked what it was like being the son of the last Kazekage, and as soon as the question had left her, Kankuro's entire demeanor changed. He turned from the relaxed, fun-loving man she had gotten to know to the rigid, stern shinobi she had briefly caught a glimpse of the first day they met. She tried to apologize and change the subject, but Kankuro answered her anyway.

"People sometimes forget that my father had good intentions. Our daimyo put the village at great risk, and whatever my father did, he meant to protect the village by doing so. But, because of him my mother died and Gaara lived a life of hell. He kept us, Temari and me, away from Gaara - I didn't even know I had a brother until I was five. And then the whole fiasco the year we took the chuunin exams - he actually thought it was a good idea to team up with that Orochimaru bastard to destroy Konoha. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret taking part in those plans."

"Good things came of it, though." Hotaru mused, handing Kankuro the last ball of daifuku. "If Suna had never aided Orochimaru, there wouldn't have been the peace there is between our villages now, and we probably would have never met… Gaara probably wouldn't be Kazekage. You said after the failed invasion was when he changed, right? So, if your father had never agreed to help Orochimaru, your brother could have stayed on his dark path."

Kankuro smiled before splitting of the confectionary in his hand in two. He handed Hotaru the larger piece before asking, "When did you get so smart?" Hotaru just laughed, before plopping the sweet in her mouth.

Now, as Hotaru opened the door, Kankuro stood before her. Hotaru blushed immediately upon seeing the man. Her arms wrapped tightly around her body, trying to make up for the fact that her only clothing was a towel. Kankuro smiled evilly as he saw the soaked girl.

"If I had known it was fancy dress -" He said slyly.

"Shut up." Hotaru scolded him before slamming the door shut. Hotaru heard him laugh nonstop as she quickly changed into actual clothes. After a moment, she pulled the door open to see Kankuro with his hands on his knees, bracing himself. He was laughing so hard he could not breathe. "What do you want?" Her voice sounded much to cold for Kankuro's liking, pulling him instantly out of his laughing fit.

"Naruto sent me to come get you."

"What for?"

"The council has questions for you. Based on the information Shikamaru gathered three years ago and what you told them, they think they may have found the complex."

"What do they want me for, then?"

"I don't know. Naruto just asked me to get you as soon as I walked in this morning." Kankuro merely shrugged before leading the girl from her room. They walked quietly, exiting the inn and turning toward the Kazekage tower. Halfway through the walk, Kankuro turned to Hotaru. "Why didn't you tell me you were leaving today?" He asked quietly.

"I had a lot on my mind yesterday." The answer was honest, but didn't make Kankuro feel any better. Much like Hotaru, Kankuro wasn't ready for her to leave yet. He had grown remarkably attached to the woman in the five days that she had been in Suna.

"Shall I take you out to lunch as a goodbye?" Kankuro looked over to the tall woman.

"I would like that." Hotaru smiled. They reached their destination promptly and made their way to the council room.

* * *

"I will not do it!" Hotaru half yelled at the combine Suna-Konoha council. "I will not go there!"

"Ms. Akimichi, I don't think you understand how important bringing down this syndicate is." A Konoha adviser spoke. Majority of the people sitting at the table were not pleased with Hotaru's sudden outburst of rage. They could not understand how asking the girl to accompany a task force to the location they believed the arena complex was housed could upset the girl so much. Hotaru was a valuable tool that needed to be utilized. As the only person to ever successfully escape, she was a treasure trove of information that could be put to good use in capturing the syndicate.

"You can't make me go!" Hotaru yelled at the adviser, slamming her palms down on the table.

"You will do as your Hokage sees fit." A Suna member scolded. "If your Hokage believes it best for you to go to this arena, then you will go. You will follow his orders."

"Now, hold on!" Naruto finally spoke up. "I have been against sending Hotaru with the task force all along! She made it clear before we came here that she would provide any information we needed so long as she did not have to go near an arena. I will not send her somewhere that could be emotionally and psychologically harmful."

"If we send her, she would be a useful asset to the mission." Another Konoha member countered.

"Before anything else, she is a villager of the Leaf!" Naruto countered. "And as such, I will do everything in my power to protect her. I will not allow you to decide what is best for her -"

"You are placing the needs of the one over the needs of the many, Lord Hokage." The Konoha member spoke. "You are confusing your personal history with the girl with your duty to the village as a whole, and allowing that to weaken your resolve."

Before Naruto could counter, the Kazekage spoke. "I agree with the Hokage. Hotaru may have valuable information, but sending her on this mission is too dangerous. We do not know how she will ultimately react to being near the complex, thus putting the entire task force at risk. And as she has stated that she does not wish to take part in this mission, we cannot force her into a situation that is potentially harmful."

"I agree with the Kages." Shikamaru, Temari, and Kankuro spoke in unison.

"I say we put it to a vote." A Suna member offered. The majority agreed, much to the two Kages' dismay. "Those in favor of sending Hotaru on this mission, raise your hands." Of the twelve people sitting at the table, seven raised their hands. "Those opposed." Five hands shot to the air. "The ayes have it. Ms. Akimichi will be joining the task force."

"No!" Hotaru screamed. Without thinking of her actions, Hotaru took hold of the glass of water sitting before her and threw it at the Suna council member. The glass barely missed the man's head, shattering to pieces against the stone wall behind him. Not satisfied with the result, Hotaru lunged across the table, trying to grab at the men who had decided her fate. Loud, animalistic grunts were issued from her as her hands grew to a deadly shade of black and her skin hardened to diamonds.

"Shit!" Shikamaru muttered. He and Naruto had seen her use this jutsu before, when they watched her memories. Hotaru had used it to pulverize a man's heart while fighting in the arena. Shikamaru activated the shadow bind, hoping to catch her before her hardened fists made contact with anyone in the room. He was able to restrain her as he hands swung downward, stopping centimeters above a council member's head.

"Restrain her!" A Konoha council member snapped at the ANBU members.

"Leave her alone." Gaara yelled above the commotion. "She will not be joining the task force. I do not care if you voted on it, inside this room I have the ultimate authority. Hotaru cannot handle the stress of the mission and I will not allow her to go."

"She is not one of your citizens, you have no right to rule over her life."

"Now you acknowledge her Konoha citizenship!?" Naruto howled at the Konoha member. "Hotaru belongs to the Leaf, I control her fate. She will not go on this mission. Do not usurp the Kages' power from us to fulfill your own means!"

"Hotaru, are you calm enough to think?" Shikamaru asked, watching the girl shake under his hold. She tried to nod, but the shadows binding her were too tight. "Release the jutsu, and I will let you go." Hotaru's hands returned to their normal color. Once Shikamaru was fully convinced Hotaru was in control of herself again, he released the shadow bind. She fell over onto the table, trying to control her haggard breathing.

Kankuro stood, and walked over to the Akimichi woman. He brushed the hair from her face before picking Hotaru up in his arms. She was surprisingly light for someone as big as she was. "I'm taking her back to her room." He announced to the council. "She will stay there until this afternoon, when she and the rest Hokage's envoy will return to Konoha."


	44. Chapter 44

"Can you walk?" Kankuro asked as they exited the Kazekage tower. He was slightly worried about her. She still had not been able to catch her breath and start breathing normally. Hotaru nodded, pushing herself from Kankuro's arms. Luckily, the inn was only a couple of blocks from the tower. Hotaru walked silently, seemingly having sunk within herself.

"Tell the Kazekage and the council that I'm sorry for the way I acted." Hotaru finally said as they stood before the inn. The girl looked as if she were about to pass out where she stood.

"I'm not leaving just yet." He replied. He draped Hotaru's arm over his shoulder and entered the building.

The hostess was in the lobby and looked up to great her guest. The older woman stood in shock at the sight of Hotaru leaning against Kankuro. "Is there anything you need, Miss?" The woman asked.

"Let me get her to her room, and I will find you if she needs anything." Kankuro replied kindly while walking past the hostess. She nodded confidently watching the shinobi walk Hotaru to her room. The Akimichi was still having a difficult time breathing, and was seeming to have grown pale.

"Kankuro -"

"No, I'm staying. You don't look so good, and I don't think you should be alone." Hotaru resigned with a heavy sigh, opening her door and letting Kankuro inside. The woman walked to the far side of the room, where she unfolded the futon and collapsed on top of it. Kankuro watched her roll onto her side, pulling herself into the fetal position. He stood awkwardly watching the girl on the futon before sitting down at the table.

"Can you do me a favor?" Hotaru asked. She turned her head to look at Kankuro.

"Another one? I already cheered you up last night, now you need something more?" He asked with a good-humored hint. "You're going to start owing me." He smirked leaving the table to kneel beside the futon. Hotaru stuck out her tongue before pushing him away from her bed. "Your wish is my command."

"Can you bring me some food? Preferably something with a high calorie count?" Kankuro let out a laugh, but quickly stopped himself when he realized she was being serious.

"Yeah… I'll get the hostess to bring you something." Kankuro was slightly confused by the girl's odd request, but left to find the hostess. He came back a few minutes later to find Hotaru asleep on the futon. Her breathing had regulated a little, but she still looked pallid. Kankuro accidentally shut the door a little too loudly, waking Hotaru.

"Food?" She asked. Hotaru sat up on the futon, looking over to the man at the door.

"It's coming." He replied apologetically. Hotaru held her hand out toward him. Instinctively, Kankuro walked toward her and took hold of the extended hand. She pulled him down forceful, landing with a thump on the soft futon. Kankuro rolled on to his side, resting his head on his arm so he could look up at Hotaru. She had folded her knees into her chest, resting her head lightly on top of them. "Why do you want food?" Kankuro asked, not quite understanding why she had asked.

"I told you about modifying my family's jutsu, right?" Kankuro nodded. "Since I woke up, I haven't exactly been okay. I may be awake, but I still have a long way to go until I'm healthy again, and have been using the Calorie Control Jutsu almost constantly." She was staring at the futon beneath Kankuro. They had discussed Hotaru's illness before, but she had never seemed to let it make her vulnerable. But the girl sitting before him now was powerless against the ailment inside of her. "I used up a little too much of my reserves last night in your workshop, so that jutsu I used took up a lot of chakra that I can't waste. I need the extra calories to convert to chakra… I really shouldn't have reacted to the council like that."

"No, you shouldn't have, but I understand why you did." Hotaru lifted her eyes to meet Kankuro. He loved the bright yellow color of her eyes. Naruto had told him that her eyes were like a wolf's, but the color of them made Kankuro think of a rich sunset over the desert. Her eyebrows knotted together, asking him how he understood. "The council had made up its mind long before they asked for your opinion. They weren't going to listen to you, Gaara, or Naruto. And to force you into a situation that could hurt you or the team you were with was irresponsible and self-serving. And, I think you reacted in a way that I think made them see just how cruel they were trying to be."

A soft knock came from the door, before being slid open by the inn's hostess. Kankuro quickly jumped from the futon. She was sitting on the floor with a large tray of food sitting next to her. "Lord Kankuro requested food for you, Miss?"

"Yes, thank you." Hotaru stood up as the older woman brought in the tray of food. The Akimichi took a step toward the center of the room, but she had stood too fast causing a blood rush to her head. Stumbling backwards from the disorientating feeling, Kankuro caught hold of her arm trying to help stabilize the woman. Hotaru leaned on Kankuro until the dizziness dissipated. Once she felt normal enough to walk she stepped away from Kankuro, but he did not let go of her arm. As if guiding her her, Kankuro walked with Hotaru to the table. He kept her stable as she sat down.

The hostess looked worriedly between Kankuro and Hotaru. "Is there anything more that you will require, Miss?" Hotaru shook her head 'no' while looking over the food laid out in front of her. The older woman focused on Kankuro, who nodded at her and walked her to the door.

"Lord Kankuro," The woman whispered, "should I call for a doctor? She does not appear to be well…"

"She'll be better after she eats something. If not, I will accompany her to the hospital."

"You are a good man, Lord Kankuro." The hostess uttered before leaving. The Suna male turned around to see Hotaru gobbling on grilled mackerel and rice. Her cheeks puffed out, filled with the fish. She looked like a squirrel as she pecked away greedily at her food.

"Are you even tasting it?" He asked sitting down across the table from her.

"Don't need to. Just need to eat." She was slightly hard to understand with her mouth burdened by an overabundance of food. Kankuro had seen her eat before, but watching her now Kankuro could tell she was definitely related to Choji. There was no way anyone could inhale food like that without being closely related to that man. She was finished eating within a matter of minutes, leaning back from the table and patting her stomach contentedly. She let out a happy sigh as Kankuro chuckled at the woman sitting before him. "Don't laugh at me." She playfully scolded him, throwing a couple excess grains of rice at the man.

"Are you feeling better now?" Kankuro asked. He had noticed that the color had started to return to her face, but she still looked somewhat vulnerable.

"I'll be better by the time I leave this afternoon." Kankuro smiled sadly at the young woman, and she instantly knew the emotion in his face. He didn't want her to go as badly as she did not want to leave. "I doubt I'll be allowed to stay here after the stunt I pulled."

"You doubt the power my brother has over the council. It's been years since Shukaku was torn out of him, but people should still fear his wrath."

"He didn't seem to have control of those council members."

"If you'll remember, the main instigators were from your own village." Kankuro meant it as a joke, but he had hit a nerve.

Hotaru dropped her gaze before saying, "They still don't trust me. Most of the village has forgotten, but some of the council members are still bitter that Lady Tsunade let me stay in the Leaf instead of sending me to the corrections facility."

"They wanted to send you off to a prison for fighting in the arena?" Kankuro asked thoroughly confused. The Konoha he knew was a kind place that put the value of its villagers lives above all else. Something like sending the girl off to a prison for the act of surviving seemed too far out of character for the hidden village. Hotaru had not told him about the man she had beaten or the ANBU that had stopped her.

"I nearly killed someone. It took six ANBU to take me down. Lady Tsunade came up with a punishment that kept me in Konoha." Hotaru said no more on the subject before standing slowly and moving back to the futon. She leaned back onto her elbows, looking back to Kankuro and waved her hand at him. "Come here."

"What do you want?" He did not move from his spot at the table.

"Just come here." She threw her pillow at the man. It missed her target, landing shy of his feet. "And bring that back with you."

"You're so demanding. What if I want to sit here?"

"Fine. Stay there. I don't want you over here anyway." She said with a huff, rolling to her side so her back faced the Sand Shinobi. After a moment, her pillow lightly fell on her head.

"There. I played fetch. Now what?" Hotaru turned her head to see Kankuro standing above her, a playful smirk lit up his face.

"Sit."

"I'm not your ninken." He replied before sitting down next to Hotaru. The girl turned completely around to face the shinobi.

"You are a very attractive man." She said bluntly.

"I've been told that." He laughed uneasily. "And you're a beautiful woman."

"Not particularly." She sigh. Her hand unconsciously played with the hair covering her right ear while partially hiding the scar on her cheek.

"Stop that." Kankuro pulled her hand away from her face. He held her fingers gently, rolling them in his hands while examining her fingertips. The way he lovingly caressed each one reminded Hotaru of the way Hajime had held her hands. She smiled lightly at the memory of the man. She thought this revelation should make her sad, but it made her quite happy. In many ways, Kankuro was nothing like Hajime. He was a bit of a goof and loved to laugh as much as Hotaru did, and he was an easy person to be around. Whereas Hajime, for as kind as he had been to her, never once intentionally cracked a joke or had the need to make Hotaru laugh. He was stern and strict. Hajime treated her like a warrior princess, while Kankuro made her feel like a normal person. Hotaru liked the way Kankuro made her feel. The pair had grown to care deeply for one another in almost no time, and the thought of leaving so soon after finding him was what actually hurt.

"Kankuro?"

"Yes?" He did not take his focus away from her fingers.

"Why did you kiss my neck last night?"

"Um, well, I-uh…" Hotaru could not understand how the question had flustered the poor boy so much. "Truth is, er, I didn't really have a reason. It just happened. Not that I meant to, it was a complete accident. I could just smell your hair and I couldn't get enough, and -"

Hotaru put the man out of his rambling misery by placing a finger on his lips. "Want to try that again?" She asked, her smirk widening to a smile.

"Okay… I smelled your hair and there was just something about it that -"

"No, not that." Kankuro looked down at the woman, completely missing what Hotaru was asking him to do. She bit her lip, and wiggled her eyebrows, trying to help the hint along, but doing so only confused him more.

"You told me to tell you again…" He tried to puzzle out what the girl was doing, but his brain was taking too long.

"You're hopeless, you know that?" Hotaru sat upright and turned to face him. She leaned forward, placing an innocent kiss on his forehead.

"Oh!" Kankuro's brain finally understood. Leaning forward, Kankuro kept his face centimeters apart from Hotaru. His black eyes kept contact with her's as he continued to inch forward slowly. A wide smile etched across Hotaru's face as Kankuro's lips finally made contact with her skin. He planted a small, chaste kiss on the tip of her nose before retreating.

Hotaru gave him a look as if egging him on to do something a little more daring. _'Is that all you've got?'_ Her eyes asked him.

"I want to make one thing clear." Kankuro stated. "We do this, there will be no getting rid of me."

"Damn." Hotaru purred as she leaned into Kankuro's personal space. "I guess that's okay…" She smiled, teasing him with a small kiss. Kankuro pounced on the girl, knocking her back on the futon. Her legs wrapped tightly against his hips, pulling him fully onto her.

Their bodies collided violently, but neither of them cared. His palms were instantly at her hips, pulling her pelvic bone into his groin, while Hotaru laced her fingers in his messy hair. There was nothing soft, or romantic about the way they kissed one another. The moment their lips had met, Kankuro was biting at her, begging her to let his tongue explore her mouth. She complied, choosing to let him have his way rather than fight him for dominance.

Her hands dropped from his hair, gently caressing her way down his clothed torso. Her nails traced every line and contour of his broad body, while his muscles contracted under his shirt. Hotaru quickly found the hemline of his black shirt, and pulled. Kankuro refused to disengage from Hotaru's mouth, his shirt getting stuck around his chest. Hotaru wanted to explore his skin with her own hands, growing impatient that he was not allowing her this. She playfully bit his tongue hard enough to make him recoil.

"What the hell?" He asked, sitting upright while checking his tongue for blood. Hotaru said nothing as she slid his shirt the remainder of the way off. She threw it away, and pulled herself onto his lap by taking fistfuls of hair in her hands. Instead of returning to her mouth, Kankuro began nibbling on her bottom lip. He sucked on it, pulling the flesh into his mouth, and bit down. He used the same amount of pressure she had used on his tongue. But Hotaru did not recoil. She moaned into the bite, pushing her hips against his.

"I like being bitten." She sighed, pulling away from him just long enough to get her point across.

"Noted."

"I also like biting."

"Also noted." He began working his way down her chin to her neck. He found a spot on her neck that made Hotaru moan when lightly nipped, running his tongue along her throat before biting down. Hotaru's breath hitched in her throat as she felt his teeth sink into the sensitive skin. Her hands, which had been exploring his ribs, dug their nails into his sides. Her fingernails pushed into him hard enough to draw blood. She did not let go of her grip on him. Kankuro released her neck, pulling her fingers from his sides. "Ow." He muttered.

"Sorry." She was not sorry. Her hands fell to his hips, and traced the muscles that were focused just above his pant's waist. Kankuro had not moved his hands from her hips, where they massaged methodically. Hotaru was growing tired of his lack of exploring her body, and forced his hands from her hips. Breaking away from her neck, Kankuro watched Hotaru moved his hands under her shirt, resting them on her breasts. He looked quizzically in her eyes, Hotaru knowing instantly what he wanted to ask.

"It the silver push-up bra." She laughed. He smiled knowingly, feeling the silky fabric that covered her breasts. They were too large to be held completely in one hand, but he massaged them both anyway. The pinching and pulling at her nipples through fabric caused Hotaru to moan, throwing her head back and exposing her neck. Kankuro focused his efforts on her clavicle while his hands moved down her torso.

He began pulling at her pants, but her hands shot down to his to stop him. "This is as far as we're going today." She expected him to put up a bit of a fight, or make her explain her reasoning behind this decision, but his reaction completely surprised her.

"Okay." He shrugged, before removing his hands from her waist.

"What?" She asked, blinking repeatedly as if he had spouted the meaning of life at her.

"If you don't want to do something, then we won't." He replied as if this answer was the most obvious fact in the world.

"I … Thank you." Kankuro smiled sweetly at her, pushing stray hairs out of her face before deftly laying down on the futon so that her head lay comfortably on his chest. Hotaru's arm draped on his stomach, while he protectively wrapped his arm around her body.

"So, how are we going to go about making this work? Because, I didn't want to let you go back to Konoha in the first place."

"We can write to one another, and maybe visit every so often?"

"Not good enough."

"It's what we can do for now, though." Hotaru let out a small sigh, pulling herself closer against Kankuro's bare chest. He growled happily before snuggling his chin against her hair. After a few moments of listening to Kankuro's heartbeat, Hotaru let the warmth of his body pull her into a peaceful nap.


	45. Chapter 45

The young man walked through the crowded house, deftly avoiding being run into a multitude of times. He had never seen so many Akimichi clan members all gathered in one place before, but considering today was a special day, he understood the cramped space. Why they couldn't all congregate outside where the celebration was going to be happening was beyond him.

He quietly made his way to the back of the large house, greeting some of the clan members he actually knew. A couple stopped him on several occasions, asking him how he was related to the family - wary of letting any stranger ruin the big day. When he explained that he was a close family friend the let him through. Finally making it to the back bedroom, the man knocked on the door.

"No boys allowed." Ino's voice carried well through the solid door. Not accepting defeat from Ino's disembodied voice, he knocked again. The door was thrown open, revealing only the blonde's face. "I said, no boys -" Ino cut herself short, gasping at the sight of the man standing before her. She had not seen him in months, at least not since the date for today's festivities had been set. "Shikamaru!" She whispered, quickly popping out of the room. It was hard for her to step out of the room without opening the door completely, given that she was about 8 months pregnant, with a belly the size of a house. "Temari said you couldn't come?" She whispered.

"Yeah… I lied. I'm kind of here for a surprise."

"You're not going to try and ruin it, are you?" Ino suspiciously asked, prodding a boney finger under his chin. "I may be pregnant, but I can still kick your ass."

"Protective as ever, I see."

"The hormones make it worse. The other day, I got in a growling match with Shiromaru over one of my socks." Ino tried to laugh the embarrassing event off, but Shikamaru just stared at her like the crazy woman she was.

"Anyway, can I go in?"

"No boys allowed." She adamantly clung to her motto of the day.

"I have a gift that she needs to open."

Before Ino could stop him, Sakura opened the bedroom door. "Ino, Hotaru needs help with her - Shikamaru!" The girl yelled joyously, letting the door fall completely open. All of the women inside the room turned to see the Nara male standing in the hallway. In the center of the room, Hotaru stood up stoically.

"I thought you couldn't come?" She asked as he side stepped Ino and walked into the room. She was wearing a white kimono and obi with a purple lace overlay. The edges of the lace had small Japanese Iris patterns with infusions of red that matched Hotaru's hair. The lace was much longer than the white kimono creating a long train of purple and red that pooled at Hotaru's feet. Her hair had been pulled up in a series of intricate braids, while her make-up was only half finished.

"I decided not coming would be a drag." Shikamaru joked, as he handed Hotaru a small box wrapped with a bow. Hotaru greedily opened the box. Her eyes grew wide and her hand flew to her mouth at the sight of what was inside.

"What is it? What is it?" A small girl with pale blonde hair and chubby cheeks asked, tugging at Hotaru's kimono.

"Choko, don't pull on Auntie's wedding dress." Ino scolded the girl.

"Sorry, Mommy." The girl sighed as Hotaru squatted beside her niece. Pulling the gift outside of the box for the child to see.

"Look, Little Butterfly, it's a porcelain hairpin from Uncle Shikamaru. It's an Iris, just like my favorite flower. And it matches the design on my kimono."

"Temari did some recon. And, it isn't from me. Kankuro wanted you to have it before the ceremony began. So, I stayed back in Suna until it was ready to be picked up." He admitted, looking over at the Sand kunoichi.

"This is from Kankuro?" Hotaru's eyes lit up at the mention of her fiancé.

"He was so worried it wouldn't be ready in time. You should have seen him cursing the jeweler." Temari chuckled, taking the hairpin from Hotaru, and placing it lovingly in her braided hair. The woman smiled at her future sister-in-law, holding Hotaru's cheeks in her palms. "Never thought I would see the day when Kankuro would be getting married." She gently squeezed the tall woman's face. "Hinata, you need to finish her make-up. Can't have her looking half done." Temari turned from Hotaru, but Shikamaru saw her nonchalantly wipe a tear from her eye.

"I should leave you to your work now, ladies." Shikamaru stated as he turned to leave.

"Shika?" Hotaru stopped him. He turned his head, so he could see the bride out of the corner of his eye. "I'm glad you're here. It wouldn't be the same without you."

Shikamaru laughed with a 'humph'. "Troublesome." He muttered sarcastically before shutting the door. He found his way outside, where Kankuro was standing with Choji, Gaara, and Naruto. Shikamaru nonchalantly walked up to the men and shook Kankuro's hand.

"Glad you made it." Choji announced, clasping his best friend around the shoulder.

"Did you give it to her?" Kankuro asked nervously. "Did she like it?"

Shikamaru had never seen the man on such an edge before. If there was one thing in this world Shikamaru knew for sure, no matter how nerve-wracking a situation, Kankuro could generally be stable and level-headed. But the man who stood before him now looked as though he was going to vomit from nerves. "She loved it." Shikamaru answered, hoping the good news would put him out of his misery if only for a moment. "Man, she's going to take your breath away."

Kankuro gave Shikamaru a broad smirk before stating, "She's always looked like a goddess."

"Wait until you see her." The Nara man smirked.

Kankuro and Hotaru had opted for a traditional wedding, allowing only close family members to watch the ceremony at the temple. The Inuzukas had figured none of their kin would be invited to the ceremony, but much to their surprise Tsume and her two children were allowed to come. The Inuzuka Alpha openly cried when Hotaru came to her house to invite her. Kiba had only seen his mother cry once before in his entire life, she was tough as nails and nothing really seemed to get to her. But in the two years since Hotaru had awoken from her coma, she had made the decision to get to know her Inuzuka family, and having her absent niece finally in her life had softened the woman up a little.

"You are family." Hotaru protested when Tsume tried to decline, stating that the Akimichi should be present for the ceremony. They were the ones who raised her, they should be the ones to go. "I want you there, and if my mother were alive, this would be a non-issue. You, Hana, and Kiba are all coming to the ceremony, and that's final."

The reception afterwards at the Akimichi estate was the talk of the village for months to come. The entire Akimichi clan and Inuzuka clan was there, with majority of the Hyuga, Nara, Aburame, and Yamanaka clans, as well as many distinguished Sunagakure clans members. The Konoha 11 had obviously been invited, and Naruto had purposefully used his power as Hokage to make sure none of them would be assigned a mission the entire week preceding the wedding.

It was absolute chaos. The Inuzukas, being the rowdy bunch they were, were only permitted a certain amount of alcohol before being cut off. Hotaru tried to protest this as unfair, but Tsume had put in the executive order. Children from all clans ran wildly around with ninken, while the much more reserved Akimichi adults introduced themselves to the Suna villagers. Many had served in the war together, allowing for the two villages to reminisce and regale heroic war stories. As the evening went on, the reception became a joyous festival in itself.

Kankuro and Hotaru stood arm in arm greeting guests. Despite finding this a drag, Shikamaru stood at the back of the line, waiting to offer his congratulations to the couple. Ino stood with him, her arm tightly wound around his. She had not spoken to the man in months, and could not help but hang on him, waiting for him to inform her of every detail of his life.

"They make such a beautiful couple." An elder Inuzuka woman spoke as she worked her way toward the newlyweds.

"That they do." The man with her replied.

"I wonder when they will start having pups of their own." The woman inquired, accidentally throwing Ino into a giggle fit.

"Stop it, Ino." Shikamaru scolded her, despite the giant smirk that stretched across his face.

"Can you imagine Kankuro as a dad, though?" Ino wailed with delight. "Oh, that would be too funny."

"You of all people know how much his attitude towards kids has changed. He absolutely dotes on Choko."

"Probably because that girl is exactly like Hotaru. But, when the time comes, I imagine he'll be a great father." As the pair of shinobi came upon the couple, Choko appeared from nowhere, forcefully taking hold of Hotaru's hand, and ripping her off of Kankuro's arm.

"Come on, Auntie, you have to see!" She yelled excitedly, before her mother could scold her.

"Akimichi Choko! You know the rules! Don't pull Auntie like that!" Ino stomped after her child, ready to give her a stern lecture.

"I don't see the big deal." Shikamaru stated, standing next to Kankuro.

"You don't know?" The Sand shinobi asked.

"Know what?"

"Last winter, Hotaru got sick again. It messed up her equilibrium pretty badly. She can't stand on her own for very long. If you watch throughout the night, whenever she stands up, she'll usually be holding on to someone or something else to brace herself. She's gotten better over the last couple months, though. It used to be that she could barely stay standing before almost passing out."

"So you made up rules that Choko has to follow?"

"Yes and no. The main reason is for Hotaru's equilibrium. But they're also there to get the girl to stop yanking on people."

"Have you and Hotaru decided where you are going to be living?" Shikamaru asked nonchalantly. There was a piece of him that hoped they would be living in Suna. He was now permanently stationed there, and having another person from Konoha would be nice.

"We'll be staying in Suna. Naruto and Gaara have been talking about making her an ambassador in some capacity, and she was very adamant that I remain a Suna shinobi. I think she is already trying to plot out a way for me to be officially elected to the village council.

"And she's okay?" Shikamaru asked. Kankuro looked at him, knowing full well that the man was asking about how far her recovery from the traumas in her life had come.

"I believe so. She hasn't had a nightmare about the people she killed in about a year. Ever since we dismantled that syndicate, Hotaru seems to have gotten immensely better; knowing that they aren't out there forcing others to live her life has really helped. She doesn't have to use the Calorie Control Jutsu daily, and has even put on some weight, which is always a good thing when it comes to her… She's always laughing." Kankuro added as they heard Hotaru's high pitched cackle somewhere in the distance. She slowly made her way back to the pair, her niece on her hip and Shiromaru trotting gracefully behind her. Kankuro smiled sweetly at the sight of his new wife. She took hold of Kankuro's arm before giving him a loving kiss on the cheek.

"How are you doing?" He asked as Choko sprang from Hotaru's grasp. The young girl skipped away, laughing while chasing a butterfly that had floated into the back garden. Shiromaru followed the young Akimichi through the garden.

"Young Koinu, do not wander where your parents cannot see you." the dog told the toddler.

"I'm happy. Absolutely happy." Hotaru smiled innocently, resting her head on Kankuro's shoulder.

* * *

**So, this is it. This is the last chapter. There were some scenes/chapters that just did not fit, or I couldn't flush out completely and had to be cut, hence the two year time skip to Hotaru and Kankuro's wedding. **

**I just want to thank all of you that stuck with this story all the way through. Thank you for reading, following/favoriting, reviewing, messaging me. Thank you for everything. This is my first fic ever, and I was really nervous about putting it up. But you all have made it worthwhile, and I appreciate the hell out of all of you! You guys are awesome and I pretty much love you! **


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